


Second Prophecy: False Idols

by wolframlogistics



Series: Rust Prophecies [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Alternate History, Angel Wings, Angels, Apocalypse, Asexual Character, Bisexual Male Character, Brothers, Demons, Drug Use, Flashbacks, Future, Gay Male Character, Genetically Engineered Beings, M/M, Novel, Original Fiction, Rape/Non-con Elements, Reincarnation, Rust Prophecies, Science, Technology, Violence, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-03-25 01:28:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13823574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolframlogistics/pseuds/wolframlogistics
Summary: Reclusive demon Alex Black and rescued caenid Sabe De Moncreaux live together as roommates and friends. Sabe has a loving, sweet boyfriend. Alex has an aggressive, violent brother. Unfortunately for Alex, his brother and Sabe's boyfriend are the same person. To protect Sabe, the two brothers must work together, but there are several lifetimes of shared violence and pain that make that difficult.Gabriel Hart, CEO and member of the angelic Arch,  has no time to play games. His city is cursed by a demonic plague, and he has to stop it, but he can't figure out how on his own. He is left with no choice but to ask for help, and invite another member of the Arch into Nukan City, all while keeping it hidden that's he's harboring his war criminal demon of a brother in order to protect his reincarnated lost lover. What could go wrong?





	1. Gabriel: 17th Degree of Sun and Moon, 1676 NE

For over a thousand years, Gabriel had watched the slow extinction of nearly every species of tree on the planet. He lamented their loss, but knew there was really nothing he could have done differently to prevent it. That was just the unfortunate cost of progress. 

The few trees that remained were grown for their ability to produce fruits or nuts, guarded in steel towers, or in the orchards of the richest landowners. The humans who tended the prized plants even acted as surrogates for the natural pollinators, most of which had vanished with the trees. It was tedious and intense labor for something they had all once taken for granted. 

Standing on the high balcony outside his office, wind tugging at his silver hair, Gabriel watched the imprisoned orchard in the sun-facing tower across from him. The elite horticulturists, with their manicured nails and perfect hair, busied themselves dusting the flowers of every tree. The floating glass orbs that held the trees slowly rotated around the room, ensuring every plant and leaf would have an equal moment of natural sunlight throughout the day. It progressed like a familiar dance, and on quiet days, Gabriel found he could loose himself in the display for hours.

Today was not a quiet day. He was delaying the inevitable. He breathed in the thin air at the top of Nukan City, and sighed heavily. The atmosphere was thinner that high above the ground, and even though the late spring sun burned hot, the air still felt crisp and cool. 

Chill gales of wind buffeted him, urging him over the edge. If it had been night, he might have revealed his wings and let the wind tug through his feathers freely, but it was day. He held his invisible, bound wings against his back tightly, refraining from embracing the desire to jump.

At the two-hundred-seventieth level of Corvus Prime, Gabriel stood at the highest point of Nukan City. The mirrored metropolis spread out before him, glittering as it reflected light down through the buildings into the Depths below. Looking over the edge, it was difficult to see that far down, even for him. 

A beep sounded in his office. “Mr. Hart?” came his afternoon secretary’s relentlessly chipper voice. 

Gabriel closed his eyes and scolded himself. He had delayed too long. He walked back into his office, closing the glass divider behind him, silencing the roar of the relentless wind. He could have responded to the secretary from outside, activating the linked tragus stud in his ear, but he walked over to his desk and tapped the intercom. 

“Yes, Tomas?”

“Mr. De Moncreaux is here. Would you like me to send him in?”

“In a moment,” he replied regretfully. “I need to make a call first.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll keep him entertained.”

“Thank you, Tomas.” Gabriel shut off the speaker. 

Sitting down at his wood desk, an antique piece crafted from the extinct dark wood of the wenge tree, Gabriel adjusted his bound wings so they draped between the gap in his high backed chair. 

The monitor on his desk flashed on as he made eye contact with the sensor. Feeds of data from around Nukan City scrolled across the background. As he smoothed and braided his long silver hair, he watched the information scroll by. He took his time, telling himself he was only checking for irregularities, but he continued watching even after he finished with his hair. Gabriel knew he was delaying again. He had to make this call.

He placed his left hand on the smooth, flat panel under the desk. Infrared scans tracked the subtle twitches of his fingers, sending the data to the computer with enough speed and precision, sometimes it felt like the machine could read his thoughts. 

Screens flashed by on the monitor as he accessed the secure files that held private contact information. Scrolling down, he quickly found who he was looking for. 

Gabriel leaned back against his wings and the seat, trying to talk himself out of doing this one more time. He couldn’t, though. The Black Ander had left him with no other options. 

For the past few years, a crystalline poison called Blue Dust had infiltrated the drug market in Nukan City. It promised higher highs for the users, and an increase in repeat business for the distributors. Any substance cut with tiny amounts of the powdered crystal became exponentially more addictive, and the public did not seem to care enough to learn the true cost. 

Blue Dust sterilized people. With small, repeated exposure to the drug, it rendered the user irreversibly infertile, and it was spreading into the water. 

Gabriel had yet to be able to find a way to reverse it. The only assurance he had was that the poison was no longer being produced. The Black Ander offered no more than that, even though Gabriel threatened to beat it out of him on several occasions. The demon insisted there was no cure.

If Gabriel couldn’t find a way to stop the spread of the demonic plague, he knew it would destroy his city. There were no other options left to him.

Reluctantly, the silver-haired man placed the call. He sat up straight, projecting the appearance of calm indifference. The holographic rendering system activated over his desk, and soon the line connected, broadcasting the realistic, three-dimensional image of a man’s head and shoulders standing before a sunlit wall. 

Gabriel took a deep breath, focusing his piercing blue eyes directly into the camera. He really hated doing this, but he had no choice. He pushed aside his pride.

“Raf, I need your help.”


	2. Sabe: 17th Degree of Sun and Moon, 1676 NE

“Thanks, Tomas,” said Sabe, accepting the hot cup of tea from the well dressed man. 

“Anything else, Mr. De Moncreaux?” asked Tomas, standing before him with a grin. “He might be a while. Do you want a magazine?”

“No, I don’t want a magazine,” laughed Sabe. When Sabe first started visiting the office a little over six months ago, a temporary secretary had assumed he was there to sell magazines, instead of as the boss’s boyfriend. Since then, Tomas had taken to teasing him about the incident, at least when Gabriel wasn’t around. 

“Well, you just let me know if you change your mind,” said Tomas with a wink. 

“I think I’ll be fine,” said Sabe lightheartedly. He took a sip of the tea. It was the perfect temperature, hot, but not enough to scald. Tomas made wonderful tea. “Tomas, since we’ve got some time, can I ask you a question?”

Tomas tapped his chin with a finely manicured nail as he thought about it. He looked at his desk, then back over to Sabe. “I suppose I’ve got time,” he decided.

Sabe smiled and asked, “Why do you work here?”

Tilting his head and scrunching his eyebrows, the secretary asked, “What do you mean?”

“It’s just… Elibitha and Charlet are so…”

“Deadly?” Tomas supplemented helpfully.

“Well, yes. And Arquette is-”

“Terrifying.”

“No. I mean, yeah, I can see that, but, no. Arquette is mellow, like nothing ever bothers her. But you…” Sabe shrugged. He didn’t want to come off as rude, but he was curious.

Tomas grinned and sat in the white floral stitched chair beside Sabe. “I know. I am neither deadly nor terrifying. And I don’t think anyone has ever referred to me as mellow in my life.” He laughed. “But you leave a coffee ring on the desk before Arquette’s shift and then try to tell me she’s _mellow_.”

Sabe returned the man’s grin. “Fair enough.”

In a bright and chipper voice, Tomas said, “It’s pretty simple actually. I used to work in Lonnelia Monolith, the building across the way with the orchard. I hated it. It was so dirty.” He shuddered. “One evening, I’d had enough. I broke through the electric locks, went up to the roof, watched my last sunset, and jumped off the edge.”

“You- You what?” Sabe asked, not sure if he’d heard right.

Tomas laughed. “I tried to kill myself, Sabe.” 

“But why? If you hated it so much, why didn’t you just quit?” 

“It was the family business. They wouldn’t have let me.” Tomas scrunched up his face. “In fact, if I’d tried to quit, they probably would have killed me themselves.”

“B-But… What happened?”

Tomas grinned again, his eyes twinkling. “Well, as I was plummeting into the abyss, headed for my unpleasant demise in the Depths, I saw this flash of silver in the moonlight. Next thing I know, I’m going up instead of down, and I’m back on top of Lon-Mon, right where I started.”

Sabe’s eyes grew wide and his pulse quickened. “Gabriel?”

“Yes. Mr. Hart had been watching the sunset, too. He saved my life.” Tomas’ smile softened, and he looked down. He ran his thumb over the rings on his fingers, quiet for a moment. He sighed heavily and looked back at Sabe. “Then he spent the next twenty minutes yelling at me.”

“He yelled at you?” asked Sabe, startled.

“Oh, he was pissed. Kept telling me I was an idiot and he should have just let me fall.” Tomas huffed. “I sat there, staring up at a _literal angel_ using some of the most vulgar profanity I’d ever heard, and all I could think was, ‘Heaven is a lot louder than I thought it would be.’”

“But why was he mad at you?”

“Mr. Hart wasn’t mad at me, not really. He was mad at himself. He revealed his wings and flew in the city without concealing himself. He just took it out on me.” Tomas smirked, his eyes filled with mirth. “It was one of the best moments in my life.”

Sabe laughed. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am serious. After he calmed down, he asked me why I jumped. I explained, and he just stared at me for a while, like he couldn’t decide whether to throw me back over the edge or not. Then, he held out his hand, and said, ‘Come work for me.’” Shaking his head, Tomas said, “It must have been the thin air or something, because I didn’t even hesitate. I took his hand, and he flew me over to the office. I’ve been working here ever since.”

“I had no idea,” said Sabe.

“I’m a little surprised. I figured Elibitha would have mentioned it already. She never lets me forget it.”

“Elibitha and I don’t really talk much,” Sabe admitted. 

Tomas nodded sympathetically. “She’s kind of unforgiving. My first task working here was helping her scour every digital record in the district to delete any playback that showed Mr. Hart’s flight.” His eyes widened with dramatic, mock horror. “There weren’t more than two blurry frames in the entire city, but she still made me check every. Single. Camera. It took me a year and a half.” He laughed. “It would have taken me longer, but I got pretty comfortable moving around in the secured city systems.”

“And your family is okay with you working here instead of the orchard?” asked Sabe.

“No, of course not,” said Tomas. “They think I’m dead. I left my shoes at the edge, and they have footage of me going up, but not coming back down.”

“Oh.” Sabe finished drinking his tea, giving himself a moment to think. “You’re okay with that?”

Tomas stood, smiling professionally down at Sabe. “I have never been happier, Mr. De Moncreaux. Would you like a refill?” He held out his hand for the cup.

“No, thank you, Tomas.” He gave him the empty cup and saucer. “But… I’m glad you’re still here. Alive.”

“Thank you, Sabe. I’m glad I’m alive, too.” The incoming line to the office rang. “Excuse me, I need to take this,” he said. Tomas tapped the earpiece as he carried the teacup back to the kitchenette. Passing through the staff door, he said in a bright and cheery voice, “You’ve reached Wolfram Logistics, office of CEO Gabriel Hart. This is Tomas speaking; how can I help you?” The door swung shut behind the secretary, and Sabe couldn’t hear any more of the conversation.

Alone in the lobby, Sabe thought briefly that he should have accepted the magazine. _Maybe next time_ , he mused, and settled in to wait.

***

About twenty minutes later, Tomas informed Sabe he could go in the office. Sabe thanked him and got up, walking toward the large double doors. He only opened one of them wide enough slip through, then closed it behind him, making sure the latch caught. 

Gabriel stood at the wide bank of windows that curved out from one side of his luxurious office to the other. His silver hair lay in a finely braided plait down his back, with metal rings spaced throughout the intricate style. A finely tailored, light grey suit stretched tight over the muscles in his back, a glamour hiding the gaps where his invisible wings fit. A flash of diamond cufflink peeked out from beneath his jacket sleeve. Gabriel stared out into the afternoon sunlight, distracted, as if he didn’t realize Sabe had entered the room.

Sabe sauntered over casually. He could tell by the way the muscles along Gabriel’s back twitched that he was irritated about something. Had Gabriel’s wings been visible, he suspected they would be twitching, too, unable to settle comfortably against his back.

Quietly, Sabe stood beside him at the thick glass. He mimicked Gabriel’s posture, hands behind his back, chin raised, glaring out over the mirrored city. He didn’t say anything, but he could see Gabriel watching him in the reflection of the glass. 

“Are you mocking me, Sabe?” Gabriel asked softly. One of his silver eyebrows raised.

Sabe tried to repeat the expression, but could only get both his eyebrows to bounce up and down a bit as his forehead scrunched. “No, I like standing here and glaring at Nukan, too. Let’s the city know who’s boss.”

A brief smile flashed on Gabriel’s face before he went all serious again. “You are not the boss, Sabe.”

Sabe puffed out his chest. “I could be, if I glare at it long enough.”

Gabriel laughed and pulled Sabe into his arms, squeezing him tight. He placed a firm kiss against Sabe’s forehead before rubbing the skin smooth between Sabe’s eyebrows with his thumb. “Don’t glare. I only want to see you happy.”

Sabe scrunched up his face real hard, wrinkling his nose and making a mean expression, but he couldn’t hold it long. He started laughing. “I don’t know how you can always look so serious.”

“Centuries of practice,” said Gabriel. He tilted his head as he looked down at him, his blue eyes bright. “I missed you.”

“You just saw me this morning.” Sabe wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s waist and leaned against his chest. He knew where Gabriel’s wings were, though his couldn’t feel the feathers resting against his arms. The spell that hid the wings prevented anyone from sensing them, by sight, touch, or even smell. Sabe assumed it worked for taste, too, though Gabriel had never given him the opportunity to test that. 

“An hour away from you is too long,” said Gabriel. He rubbed his cheek against the top of Sabe’s head. 

The young man tried to duck away. “Stop that, you’ll mess up my hair.” 

“So? I like it when you are disheveled. That just ravished look really suits you.”

Sabe laughed and pushed back against Gabriel’s chest. It was like pressing against a wall, but Gabriel released him, giving him an opening to slip away. 

“We’ve got dinner reservations at that new place,” said Sabe, backing away from Gabriel and toward the desk. “The one that’s supposed to have an unlimited ice cream fountain. I want to look nice.” 

“We could skip it,” said Gabriel. “Just go back to my place. I’m sure I could find something to feed you.” The silver-haired man followed Sabe’s retreat with a causal stroll, though his eyes glinted with a hunger that had nothing to do with food. Sabe bumped against the desk. There was nowhere else to run as his lover corner him. 

The desire in Gabriel’s blue eyes was obvious, filling Sabe’s belly with a excited flutter. He placed a hand on Gabriel’s chest as the man pressed against him. “I think we should just go to dinner tonight,” said Sabe. “I promised Alex I wouldn’t be out late.”

At the mention of his brother, Gabriel’s demeanor shifted. He scowled. “The Black Ander does not get to set my schedule or yours.”

“You know how he worries,” said Sabe.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “No, I don’t. And I really don’t care.”

At Sabe’s request, Gabriel and Alex had tolerated each other’s presence for the past six months. They still argued, which often escalated to physical violence, but they were trying. They had dinner together almost every week, and Alex had only poisoned Gabriel once. Things were definitely improving. Sabe suspected they needed each other more than either of them was willing to admit. He wouldn’t be around forever, after all.

“If you want, you can come back to the apartment with me. Maybe stay the night in my room?” suggested Sabe.

Gabriel smiled down at him with a patient, but annoyed expression. “You know I cannot sleep in that place. Are you certain I won’t be able to convince you to come home with me tonight?”

“Is that the only reason you invited me to dinner?” Sabe asked playfully, running his fingers down the buttons on Gabriel’s shirt. “Just to get me home with you?”

“I did not actually invite you to dinner, Sabe,” said Gabriel. He stroked Sabe’s jaw with back of his hand, eyes focused on the movement as he caressed Sabe’s smooth skin. “Tomas told you about the restaurant invitation, and you begged me to go.”

Sabe tried to hide his grin. “Ice cream fountain,” he explained. “I have to try it.”

“You are lucky you are so cute,” the silver-haired man murmured.

Sabe laughed and punched Gabriel’s shoulder. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He lifted his chin so he could stare up into his boyfriend’s glacial blue eyes. 

“It means I am only taking you to make you happy,” answered Gabriel. “I get hundreds of these invitations from every new restaurant and nightclub there is. They are all a waste of time.”

“Then you think tonight is a waste of time?” asked Sabe. He traced the edges of one of the smooth buttons on Gabriel’s vest.

“No time with you is a waste, Sabeth. I can just think of a thousand better things I would rather do with you.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“We have a few minutes before our reservation. How about I show you?” 

There wasn’t time to protest before Gabriel’s other hand slipped down the front of Sabe’s pants and long fingers encircled his temporarily soft member. Within a few quick strokes, Sabe was hard, his body eagerly stirring at Gabriel’s touch. 

“N-Not fair,” Sabe gasped. Sometimes it felt like his boyfriend had more control of his body than he did. “We’re going to be late.”

“Darling, they’ll hold my reservation,” he whispered against Sabe’s ear, his warm breath sending shivers down Sabe’s spine.

Gabriel pushed Sabe’s pants down over his hips, freeing his erection. He lifted Sabe and sat him on his desk. Sabe shifted awkwardly, the expensive and rare antique desk cold beneath his bare ass. It had to be illegal to sit on something so old and priceless, but Gabriel never seemed to care. 

“Hold up your shirt,” commanded the silver-haired man. “You don’t want to go to dinner with it all messy.” He began stroking Sabe again, jolts of pleasure coursing through the caenid’s body. 

Thoughts of the ice cream fountain drifted from Sabe’s mind. He lifted his shirt and leaned back, watching down the line of his body as Gabriel lowered his mouth to kiss the end of his throbbing erection. He tried to lift his hips and push up into his boyfriend’s amazing mouth, but the silver-haired man held him still effortlessly.

Gabriel liked being in control of, well, everything. He liked teasing and tormenting Sabe until he could hardly take it anymore. He was very good at it, too, but Sabe didn’t mind, because the pleasure that overcame him when Gabriel finally brought him to orgasm was always greater than anything Sabe could achieve on his own. 

Even when Sabe had Gabriel knotted beneath him in bed, the man’s wiggling and clenching body controlled all of Sabe’s pleasure. The aftershocks that flowed into Sabe when Gabriel came were sometimes so overwhelming, the caenid would nearly pass out. 

Gabriel was always in charge, but Sabe couldn’t bring himself to protest.

A warm tongue pressed firmly along Sabe’s shaft as Gabriel lowered his mouth around him. The heat that enveloped Sabe made his arms shake. He couldn’t lean back on just one hand. He pulled his shirt up, holding the soft fabric in his mouth, fully revealing his belly and chest, but it allowed him to lean back on his elbows and watch with more ease.

With skill that still confounded Sabe, Gabriel’s tongue and lips worked him over, drawing dizzying pleasure from his erection. One of Gabriel’s hands fondled Sabe’s balls, while the other held tight to the base of his cock, squeezing firmly around the growing knot. 

Sabe moaned, though the shirt in his mouth muffled the sound slightly. It was probably for the best. Sabe wasn’t sure how soundproof this office was, but it would have been completely embarrassing for anyone to hear him in there with Gabriel. 

Gabriel’s head raised and lowered, sliding Sabe deeper into his mouth, easily taking him into his throat. His lips pressed against the caenid’s bulging knot as his tongue caressed Sabe in disorienting patterns. 

It did not take long before Sabe whimpered. He tried to warn Gabriel and say, “I’m coming,” but his words were too muffled to understand. He felt himself swell and burst, and Gabriel pulled back, letting the globs of white fluid spurt up and splatter down across Sabe’s chest and belly. Gabriel grinned up at him and stroked every last bit out of Sabe’s sensitive erection as Sabe’s body twitched and convulsed.

Usually, Gabriel swallowed. It surprised Sabe that his boyfriend hadn’t, especially because of the mess he had made. He couldn’t voice his complains clearly though, and just whined behind his shirt. He felt dizzy after that orgasm, and was still too shaky to raise himself off his arms and remove the shirt from his mouth. 

“Oh, darling, don’t worry,” Gabriel said, a predatory glint in his eye. “I am not going to leave you a mess like this. You will get your dessert tonight, but I will have mine now.”

Leaning down, Gabriel started licking Sabe clean. He sucked at Sabe’s skin and nibbled along his belly with his teeth. He cleaned everywhere, even places Sabe was fairly certain didn’t need it. Sabe’s sensitive body squirmed and wiggled beneath his boyfriend’s thorough mouth, but he watched with delighted amusement. 

After every last bit of fluid had been devoured from Sabe’s chest and stomach, Gabriel pulled the shirt from his mouth and kissed him. Sabe moaned into the kiss, enjoying the taste of himself on Gabriel’s lips as he pushed his tongue into Gabriel mouth.

When Gabriel broke the kiss, Sabe still felt lightheaded. He smiled up at his boyfriend. “What about you?” 

“Another night, I think,” said the silver-haired man. Sabe had learned not to question it. There were days when Gabriel was content sucking Sabe off and nothing more. Sabe tried not to think it was because he wasn’t good enough to bring the man pleasure quickly, but he suspected that was part of it. 

Even with Gabriel’s firm guidance, Sabe’s skills with his mouth and tongue were lacking. It wasn’t his fault, not really. His sharp teeth got in the way sometimes, especially if he got distracted. And it was easy to get distracted, because when Sabe had his face pressed between the silver-haired man’s thighs, the scent of him was nearly intoxicating. He just wanted to rub his face in those soft silver curls and bury his nose in that warmth. It was hard to stay focused for long. 

Sabe felt he was getting better, though. He wanted to bring his boyfriend as much pleasure as he brought him, but he was still learning. There was a lot they hadn’t even tried yet, though Gabriel seemed in no hurry. The silver-haired man was content most nights just to coax multiple orgasms from Sabe with his mouth and hands, leaving the young caenid a quivering mess in his bed. 

On the nights Gabriel sought more, he always offered himself, though Sabe knew Gabriel would really prefer their positions switched. Thankfully, he rarely mentioned it. Sabe just didn’t think he could bring himself to do it yet, but Gabriel sensed his unspoken anxiety and didn’t push the subject. 

Sabe almost felt bad about it. He knew Gabriel wouldn’t hurt him, but the act felt impossible and scary. Part of him didn’t know if he’d ever be ready to give himself over to Gabriel like that, though he wondered if one day Gabriel’s patience would run out. 

Picking Sabe up off the desk, Gabriel helped him stand while he straighted the caenid’s shirt and pulled up his pants. Sabe still felt a little wobbly, so he held on to Gabriel’s shoulder while the man redressed him. 

Sabe watching his angelic lover with amusement. Gabriel’s blue eyes searched for any wrinkles or creases that were out of place in Sabe’s clothes. The man was vain and a bit of a perfectionist, though he refused to admit it. He was also gentle and sweet when no one else was looking. 

A small crease appeared on Gabriel’s brow as he found a wrinkle in Sabe’s shirt that wouldn’t smooth out. He tugged at it a few times, and Sabe felt heat around Gabriel’s hand. Then the shirt lay smooth, and Gabriel nodded with satisfaction.

“I love you,” announced Sabe, gazing up into Gabriel’s ice-blue eyes.

Skeptically, Gabriel said, “I love you, too. What brings about this declaration?”

“Just you. You pretend like you don’t care about things, but then you get so fixated on tiny little details. It’s very endearing.”

Gabriel smiled and kissed him gently. “I care a great deal about many things, Sabeth. Mostly you. Are you ready for dinner?”

“Yes, as long as you don’t let me fall. I’m not completely steady yet.”

“I will never let you fall,” said Gabriel. He looped his arm with Sabe’s and walked with him to the door. 

In the lobby, Tomas stood from his desk, giving Sabe a smirk that could have meant anything, but the way Tomas’ eyes twinkled, it was like the man knew exactly what had just happened in the office. Sabe blushed profusely, even though no one mentioned it.

Tomas bowed. “Goodnight, Mr. Hart. Goodnight, Mr. De Moncreaux.”

“Goodnight, Tomas. If I have any further calls tonight, please hold them.”

“Of course, Mr. Hart,” said the well dressed secretary. “Enjoy your ice cream.” Tomas smirked. 

Gabriel took Sabe into his private transport, shaking his head. “Oh, the things I do to keep you happy,” he complained. 

“Aw, admit it. You’re looking forward to the ice cream fountain, too,” Sabe teased. 

“We will see how much of it I can taste on your lips when we are done,” said Gabriel, sitting on a bench and pulling Sabe down into his lap. He kissed him gently while the transport closed and dropped, cutting down through the towers with priority access. With Gabriel’s loving kisses and strong hands, Sabe was half tempted to tell his boyfriend to change course and go to his penthouse, but the allure of unlimited ice cream was too great.

They arrived at the restaurant and got their reserved table without issue. All the food was wonderful, but the ice cream fountain was the best. It was more than Sabe could have possibly eaten on his own, but by god, he gave it his best shot. It was everything he hoped it would be.


	3. Alex: 17th Degree of Sun and Moon, 1676 NE

Pale moonlight illuminated the rooftops of Poriah, the nearly abandoned town on the outskirts of Nukan City. The air was calm and quiet, though some of the heat from the day still lingered in the air. It was the time of night Alex enjoyed most, when everyone was tucked into their little houses, safe and sound, pretending the world wasn’t a dark, scary place. Alex enjoyed it because that meant dark, scary things like himself were allowed to wander about freely.

He lounged on the roof of his six floor building, bathing in moonlight, enjoying the stillness in the town. He kept the towers of Nukan City to his back, though he could still see the artificial glow from the edges of his vision.

A coil of black energy curled beside him, undulating like a slow motion capture of a snake on fire. He reached in and tore off another piece of the dark energy, then lobbed it out into the darkness at the edge of the rooftop. 

Black teeth flashed, darting from the shadows to snatch the ball of condensed power. Hungry gnashes of teeth filled the air. Skittering shadows moved all around Alex, eager. 

_Waiting_.

He tore another chunk of energy from the coil beside him and tossed it a different direction. The shadows there gobbled it up with just as much fervor. 

Alex smiled and relaxed, looking up at the dim starlight. He enjoyed sitting on the roof when it was quiet. The hatch beside him, a painted skylight, led into the living room of his apartment. It allowed him to jump up there whenever he wanted, and also served as a quick escape, should he ever need to abandon his home and flee. 

The construct beasts on the roof guarded against any aerial intruders. Their silent howls would alerted him to any breaches in his proximity wards. Should anyone actually land on the roof, the constructs would quickly fall upon them, ripping them apart.

Well, that’s what they were supposed to do.

Lately, the most dangerous thing they had caught was a pigeon, which was unfortunate, because there were days when Alex wished they would rip Gabriel apart. Once his brother discovered the roof hatch, he started using it regularly to visit Sabe, flying over from Nukan City and dropping in whenever he felt like it. The constructs would barely trigger, and Alex would only have a few seconds notice before Gabriel was kicking the hatch open and landing in the living room like he fucking lived there. 

Alex scowled just thinking about it. The black coil beside him sparked and crackled, responding to the uptick in his emotions. He tore off another bit of it and tossed it out, watching the shadow constructs dive to devour it in the air. 

Since the incident last Soldiers, it was easier to channel his chaotic energy. Before that, he had gone too long without an outlet, and was just clinging to the edge of sanity by his grey nails. Releasing his power unhindered for an evening had been refreshing, giving him a chance to clear his head. 

Without that opportunity, Alex knew there was no way he could stand to be around Gabriel for as often as his brother showed up. He would have had to drug himself blind just to maintain any semblance of control. 

Gabriel had issues with Alex’s personal space, as in, he ignored it completely. His brother was quick to anger. He always shoved Alex around, attacking him for whatever reason set him off that day. A couple times, when he was being especially annoying, he would flick the threaded spellwork at Alex’s neck, just to see the carefully constructed spell shimmer, threatening to reveal Alex’s hidden wings. 

Gabriel was simply impossible and just as aggravating as he had always been.

Even if the constructs didn’t rip him apart, Alex wished they would at least take a couple bites out of him. Slow the man down a bit. 

Except, they wouldn’t. The construct beasts were spellwork manifestations of Alex’s own power, set as wards around the apartment. Though it was not crafted for him, Gabriel had a key which gave him passage through Alex’s protections and shields. Alex had tried to steal it back once, but unfortunately failed. The next time Gabriel came over, he smugly showed Alex where he had embedded the key in his body, fusing it to a bone in his arm. Short of hacking off Gabriel’s arm, there was no way to get it back. 

Not that that thought didn’t cross Alex’s mind. Frequently.

There was no end to how infuriating it was to watch centuries of carefully constructed wards just breezed through, like they were nothing. Try as he might, Alex could not fabricate a new ward to keep Gabriel out. They were all temporary, at best, or pissed Gabriel off, at worst. 

One of the large shadow beasts loped up out of the darkness. She sat beside Alex, tongue lolling from her mouth, black smoke dripping from her fangs like slobber. He reached out and scratched behind her head where her ears would have been, had she had any. Her head was mostly just teeth. Lots and lots of gleaming, black teeth. 

“There’s a pretty girl,” he cooed to her. Her tail wagged happily, hissing through the air with an electric crackle. He broke off another piece of the coiled black energy and tossed it to her. Her teeth snapped together as she caught it, sounding like the scrape of knives. She chewed repeatedly as the shadows that made up her body absorbed the power.

Alex could have recharged the constructs with a quick burst of energy, touching the sigil that bound them, but he enjoyed feeding them by hand every once in a while. A few more of the constructs padded out to him on silent feet, hazy in the moonlight. He popped a piece of energy out to each of them, smiling as they sprang and leapt for the black morsels.

The rift in the apartment activated, making Alex’s teeth vibrate. He waved his hand through the air, dispersing the construct beasts back into the shadows. He sent the remains of the ration of coiled energy scattering into the dark at the edge of the roof, where the beasts quickly and silently devoured the power. 

Alex dropped down the hatch, swinging it shut behind him just as the rift door opened to the link in Nukan City. Gabriel entered, supporting most of Sabe’s weight while the young caenid moaned and clutched his belly.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Alex, briefly worried.

“Too much ice cream,” Gabriel replied. He walked Sabe over to the couch, where the caenid immediately melted into the cushions, stretching out his body with considerable difficulty.

“It was amazing,” moaned Sabe, his eyes glassy from the sugar coma he nearly put himself in.

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to alleviate some of the quick flashes of irritation that shot through him. “You can’t let him eat himself sick.”

Gabriel ruffled Sabe’s roan hair and smiled at him. “You had fun, though, didn’t you?” 

With a smile that looked more like a grimace of pain, Sabe said, “I loved it.”

“Gabriel!” Alex snapped his brother’s name. Yeah, that got his attention. Alex forced himself to stand there as Gabriel stalked over, ice-blue eyes sharp and unforgiving. 

“Watch your tone, Black Ander,” the silver-haired man warned.

“You cannot load him up on frozen milk and sugar,” Alex insisted, resisting the urge to flee from the intensity of his brother’s gaze. It was difficult, but there had been ample opportunity to practice over the last few months. He seldom broke ranks to run anymore. 

“He can eat whatever he wants,” Gabriel said aggressively. 

Alex dropped his voice into the subvocal tones that were too low for humans to hear and said, “He was starving on the streets for four years. You offer him food, and he will eat it, even if it makes him sick.”

Lowering his voice in the same way, Gabriel replied, “He likes ice cream. It makes him happy. I’m not going to stop him from doing things that make him happy.”

“If it made him happy to jump off a building, would you let him do that, too?”

“Yes. And then I would catch him.”

Alex clenched his jaw, infuriated by his brother. “Well, does he look happy now, Gabriel? You let him get that sick. Next time, you have to stop him before it gets this bad. You have to tell him no.”

Irritated, Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Alex. He started to reply, but Sabe interrupted.

“Stop. I don’t like it when you guys talk like that,” he complained. “It hurts my head.”

“You can understand us?” Alex asked, reverting to a normal speaking voice. 

Sabe shook his head while his hand continued to rub his belly. He was clearly in pain. “Not understand, but it sound like talking, if it were through several walls.” 

“Caenid hearing,” Gabriel explained, as if Alex hadn’t already figured it out. He returned to Sabe’s side, apparently deciding the conversation with Alex was over. “Let’s get you to bed, darling. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Ugh… I don’t think I can walk again,” Sabe said, looking up at Gabriel with big, russet colored eyes. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” he said, bending down and scooping Sabe up gently into his arms. 

Sabe only whimpered a little as Gabriel carried him to the hallway. Gabriel turned before closing the hall door. “Don’t go anywhere, Black Ander.”

Scowling, Alex said, “You’re not the boss of me,” though they both knew that wasn’t true.

The door shut, and Alex sat at the kitchen island and waited for his brother to return.

***

About half an hour later, Gabriel emerged from the hallway. He rubbed his hands on a white handkerchief from his pocket, like he found touching the rift energy in the hall unpleasant. He kicked the door shut with the heel of his expensive leather shoe and then approached Alex at the island counter.

“Is he asleep?” Alex asked, staring at the mug of coffee on the counter before him. It was hot, but didn’t contain any of his usual drugs. The dark liquid seemed less appetizing that way.

Gabriel sat beside Alex. “He is.” He reached over and took the coffee from Alex, taking a long drink before setting the half empty mug on the counter. “That’s bitter. You need to use better coffee.”

Alex furrowed his brow. “I didn’t make that for you.”

“You didn’t drug it, so you clearly didn’t make it for yourself, either. Here, you want it back?” Gabriel offered the mug back to him. Alex recoiled.

“No thanks. Keep it.” His brother sat the coffee back on the counter. Alex relaxed a little. “You know, you have to tell him ‘no’ sometimes.”

“I say it all the time.”

“You only tell him ‘no’ if he’s interfering in something you already planned to do. Otherwise, you’d let him get away with murder.”

Gabriel’s icy eyes narrowed. “He’s not the only one.”

“You know what I mean,” Alex said quickly, veering away from the volatile subject. “You allow him to do whatever he wants.”

“I want him to be happy. He _deserves_ to be happy.”

“That’s not why, and you know it,” he said sharply. “Sabe is going to be miserable and nauseous all day tomorrow, definitely not happy. But what do you care? You’ll be off in your towers, playing at king, pretending like anything you do actually matters. I’m the one left here to clean up your mess.”

Gabriel snarled and stood, glowering down at Alex on the stool. “I am constantly cleaning up your messes. You have no right to complain. The only reason I keep you around is to help take care of Sabe, so you had better do your job.” His eyes were sharp and angry as he said, “Do you understand me, Black Ander?”

“Got it,” Alex grumbled unhappily, lowering his gaze.

For as long as Gabriel could walk through his wards, he really was at his brother’s command. There was nowhere he could run or hide that Gabriel couldn’t find him. But more than that, Alex wasn’t willing to leave Sabe alone with the man. 

Gabriel wasn’t powerful enough to protect Sabe on his own, not from the things that could really hurt the caenid. After Sabe was kidnapped, they both agreed to work together to keep him safe. Alex had done his part, but all Gabriel did was assign some flimsy humans to watch over the young man. 

That, and feed Sabe until he was sick on more than one occasion. 

Alex knew he shouldn’t care about what happened to the caenid so much, but he was his friend. He did care. He didn’t want Sabe hurt again. He still felt the lingering guilt that plagued him after killing Sabe in his past life. 

_Sabine_. Alex missed Sabine. She was brilliant. He had always enjoyed watching her argue with Gabriel, because she always held her ground against him. Gabriel couldn’t intimidate her, and Alex admired her for that. 

Except Sabine was dead, and it was Alex’s fault. Her soul existed, whole and unshattered, in Sabe’s body, but the boy didn’t remember anything about being her. Which was probably the only good thing to come out of the whole situation.

With an irate huff, Gabriel said, “I need to talk to you about something.” 

Alex kept his gaze on the counter. “I figured,” he said dismally. His brother had told him to stay there for a reason, and it wasn’t just to steal his coffee and yell at him. Well, maybe it was to yell at him, but there was probably more to it.

“Next month, I’m going to have a visitor,” announced Gabriel. “While he’s here, I need you to stay off the grid, and… I need you to keep Sabe with you.”

Alex glanced at him briefly, suspicious. “Who is it?”

“It’s none of your concern, Black Ander,” Gabriel growled back, his tone sending chills down Alex’s spine.

“Forget I asked,” said Alex, raising his hands. He slipped off the chair, needing to put some distance between himself and his brother. He walked into the kitchen, getting a glass down for water that he didn’t actually need to drink right then. While water from the tap filled the glass, he asked, “Am I supposed to hide Sabe for the whole month? Have you told him?”

“I’ll come visit him, but he doesn’t need to know. It’ll only put him in more danger.”

From the sound of it, Gabriel had invited somebody important to the city. Alex did not want to hang around and find out who. He shut off the water and turned around, holding the full glass. “I can take him up north for a while. I’ve got a property up there I can use.”

“No,” said Gabriel quickly. “I want him close.”

“So you just want him to sit around and wait for you? Like a dog?” The words slipped out, and Alex knew he was in trouble before his tongue formed the last syllable. 

Gabriel vaulted the counter and slammed into Alex, shoving him back into the cupboards with a fist clenched in the front of his shirt. One of the handles jabbed painfully into Alex’s back, bruising his kidney. The glass fell from his hands, shattering and splashing his bare feet with shards of glass and cold water. 

“Do not call him a dog, Black Ander,” Gabriel admonished, his voice low and threatening.

Alex winced. “Maybe you shouldn’t treat him like one,” he responded unwisely.

Gabriel’s gaze darkened. Alex felt the energy coalesce in his brother’s palm with enough time for him to think, _Oh, shit, this is going to hurt._ Then, the snap of electricity was forced into Alex. The shock made his heart skip a beat, which was an entirely unpleasant feeling.

Alex dropped to his knees in the water and glass as Gabriel released him. He coughed once, smoke spilling from his lips. He glared up at his brother, struggling to control the swirling emotions within him. Gabriel glared back, but his cold gaze had more impact. Alex broke eye contact first, lowering his head sullenly. 

“It is your fault I have to do this,” scolded Gabriel. “You and your filthy drugs. I had to call in a favor today, and I am not happy. Now, are you going to behave and do what I tell you, or do we need to have another discussion about your allegiance?”

Alex dug his fingers into his knees, feeling the glass beneath him stab through his wet pants and into his skin. He focused on the discomfort and fought to control his breathing. “I’ll behave,” he said quietly.

“Good. Now get this cleaned up before Sabe walks out and hurts himself.” 

Without another word, Gabriel walked away from Alex, heading for the hatch to the roof. He dropped the spell on his white wings. The energy in the air gathered, shifting around Gabriel until he looked like he was cloaked in starlight. Then, the silver-haired man jumped up, pushing open the hatch and flying off into the night with a snap of wings. 

The construct beasts on the roof barely whined, allowing Gabriel to pass by undisturbed. _Again._

Alex sighed, slowly rising to his feet. He got to work cleaning up the mess.


	4. Sabe: 2nd Degree of Tides, 1676 NE

By the time summer arrived, a new project stole all of Gabriel’s time and attention, leaving Sabe alone, wondering why his boyfriend was avoiding him. Gabriel called frequently to check in. He insisted he wasn’t actually avoiding Sabe, but anytime the young man asked to hang out or come over, Gabriel made excuses and said he was busy. 

During one of the calls, Sabe asked about the project. Without hesitating, Gabriel told him, speaking in detail of all the tedious contracts and blueprints, and how important it was for the city that he take care of it himself. 

Honestly, Sabe stopped trying to understand after the third time Gabriel said ‘emoluments.’ He lay on his bed, partially listening, giving encouraging little murmurs of agreement every once in a while, but he didn’t really care.

Normally, he liked hearing Gabriel talk, even about boring stuff. When he was in a good mood, Gabriel had a wonderful voice, smooth and deep like being wrapped in silk. When he was in a bad mood, his voice was more like being surrounded in roses. Velvety and beautiful, but full of sharp thorns. Either way, the man was pleasant to listen to.

However, with his new project, Gabriel’s voice was dull, practically monotonous. Sabe zoned out on more than one occasion during the call. He was almost grateful when Gabriel excused himself for a meeting. 

Sabe decided to avoid asking about work for a while, at least as long as Gabriel was dealing with that project. It would be better to let him focus on it, anyway, so it might be finished sooner. 

After all, Sabe could stand to go a few days without seeing his boyfriend. He wasn’t some clingy, lovesick puppy. He could do things on his own. He’d been on his own for years before meeting Gabriel. Why should it bother him now?

_It wouldn’t_ , he assured himself.

He would be fine.

Frowning, Sabe realized he’d been staring at the entertainment display in the living room all morning, and had no recollection of when the cartoons had switched over to infomercials. He shut it off and flopped back onto the couch, throwing his arm over his eyes. 

Okay, so he missed Gabriel a little. They’d seen each other nearly every day since Gabriel had rescued Sabe from his kidnappers. For a while, they even lived together, though that had been too much, too soon. Gabriel’s space was definitely his own, and Sabe still wasn’t completely comfortable being left alone in that perfect penthouse. 

Nevertheless, Gabriel always made a point to visit the apartment or invite Sabe over to his office or penthouse. Six days had passed since he last saw the man, and Gabriel had made no effort to do more than call.

“Why are you moping?” Alex asked, walking out of the hall and into the kitchen. 

Sabe lifted his arm from his eyes and looked over at his demonic roommate. “I’m not moping,” he said sadly.

“You’ve been on that couch for the last two days. If you’re not moping, then what?” Alex had his long black hair tied back in a messy knot. He made coffee slowly, like he was still half asleep. That, or he hadn’t slept for days. Sometimes it was hard to tell with the pale man. 

Sabe accepted Alex was a demon. He’d seen the shadows that surrounded the man in blinking whorls of dark power. He’d witnessed Alex’s pitch black wings. He knew Alex had killed people to protect him, but despite all that, he couldn’t fear him. 

They were friends. 

“It’s just too hot out,” Sabe lamented. “I can’t go anywhere without feeling like I’m going to melt.”

Alex pulled a packet of white powder from his pocket. He scooped some of the drug out with his grey pinkie nail and stirred it into the coffee. “So this isn’t at all about Gabriel? Good. I was afraid you were sitting there moping about him, and I really didn’t want to have to talk about my brother.” 

Sitting up, Sabe watched his friend approach and take a seat in the well worn armchair by the couch. After Gabriel told him to throw the chair out, the black-haired man had grown even more attached to the piece of furniture. It definitely needed to be replaced, but Alex seemed content to let the threadbare fabric disintegrate around him, especially because he knew it annoyed Gabriel.

The black-haired demon sipped his drugged coffee, watching Sabe with black eyes that seemed to swirl in the light. His eyes were emotionless, making it difficult to read the man, but Sabe had never let that stop him before.

“Okay, it is a little bit about Gabriel,” he admitted. 

Alex sighed and settled back in his chair. “Of course it is.”

“Do you think he’s getting bored with me?” the young man asked.

“No,” Alex stated. “Next question.”

“Alex,” Sabe groaned.

“I’m serious, Sabe. He’s not bored with you. He’s just an asshole.”

“Why do you two have to fight so much? Can’t you just try to get along?”

“We are getting along,” said Alex. “This is as good as it gets, Sabe. His personality doesn’t get any better than it is right now, but it sure as hell gets a lot worse. You’ve only seen his pretty side. Just wait.”

Sabe frowned. “I’ve seen Gabriel in plenty of bad moods. Sure, he’s a little scary, but no worse than you.”

“Much worse than me,” said Alex. “In fact, even I get much worse than you’ve seen me. You shouldn’t be so comfortable around us. You need to remember what we are.”

“A demon and an angel. Yes, I know. It’s not that big of a deal. I mean, I bet there are all sorts of creatures out there I never knew about.”

Alex stared at him a moment without blinking. “Sometimes, your blind trust in people makes me want to put a shock collar on you so that every time you walk into a dangerous situation, you get zapped.”

Sabe chuckled. “You’re not still sore about me talking to those kids in Poriah last month, are you?”

“They were a gang, Sabe. They all had knives. I should have let them beat your ass for being so stupid.”

“They’re nice. They bought me lunch a couple days ago. You know, Nico has a crush on you now.”

“Who?”

“The one you grabbed by the neck and held in the air with one hand. The one who peed himself a little,” said the young man, completely amused. 

“I threatened to kill him,” said Alex, incredulous.

“Well, you made an impression on him. He said he’d owe me a blood debt if I convinced you to go out on a date with him.”

“I don’t date,” declared Alex. “Especially not prepubescent little twerps who think waving a knife around makes them tough.”

“It could be fun.”

“No, Sabe.”

“You’re going to break his heart.”

“I won’t stop there if I see him again,” said the demon. 

Sabe grinned. “So if not him, who? What’s your type?”

“I’ve told you, I don’t have a type.”

“But you can’t plan on just sitting around being by yourself for the rest of your life.”

“If I’m lucky, that is exactly what will happen.” He squinted at Sabe and pursed his lips. “Though lately, I haven’t been very lucky.”

“Or, maybe you’ve been super lucky,” suggested Sabe optimistically. “Like the luckiest. You get to hang out with me and watch cartoons all day.”

Alex smiled crookedly. “I taught you how to read, and you still laze about watching cartoons.”

Sabe made a face at his roommate. “I read. I read every night, before bed. I’m about halfway through Moby Dick. Let me tell you, not what I was expecting that book to be about.”

Alex laughed then, a bright sound that made Sabe grin. It was so rare to hear the demon honestly laugh, and it made him look younger, less jaded. He was still smiling when he drained the rest of his coffee and sat the empty cup on the floor beside the chair. 

“I think we should go into Nukan City today,” the demon said. “Have lunch up at the cafe. Stay out of the heat of Poriah.”

“You’re not just saying that because you want to avoid running into your admirer, aren’t you?” Sabe teased.

Alex rolled his eyes and stood, stretching his arms up over his head. When Gabriel stretched like that, his wings usually followed the motion. Sabe wondered if Alex’s wings did, too, even though he never revealed them.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“Hm?” Alex grabbed his elbow and pulled it back behind his head, then repeated the stretch on the other side.

“Why are your wings black?”

“I already told you,” he replied.

“You said it was a punishment for killing Jequn. Did they dye them? Is it a spell? Can you get it removed?”

“Sabe, if you want to know what happened to me, go ask Gabriel.”

Sabe pouted. “He won’t tell me either.”

“For good reason. Some things are better left in the past.” Alex picked up the mug and carried it to the kitchen sink. He placed it beside Sabe’s dirty breakfast bowl. “Go get ready. We’ll leave in about fifteen minutes.”

***

The linked rift Alex created to Nukan City led to an unused storage closet on the sixth level of Visidiary Monolith. They stepped out of Alex’s bright and spacious apartment into the cramped and dingy hall of the lower residential district. Crying could be heard through the thin walls. The filtered air was stale and warm. It was hotter outside, but not as comfortable as Sabe expected. 

“There’s no air conditioning?” asked Sabe. Living in the outer Depths during the past four summers, he had always imagined how cool everyone must be within the towers while he panted miserably in the streets. He was disappointed to find the air inside was barely tolerable.

“It’s on, but comfort isn’t a priority in the Depths. Humans can exist at this temperature without risk, so it would be a waste of resources to provide more. It’ll be cooler the higher we go.” Alex closed the door to his apartment, making sure it was locked, before walking down the hall with Sabe.

The Depths of Nukan City included the streets between the buildings, shadowed in perpetual twilight, and the lower levels of many towers, because most the people who lived in those levels couldn’t afford to ride the public transport up and across to the other buildings. They had to walk outside if their job existed in another tower. The Depths also included the areas beneath the buildings, where hollow caverns existed in the cement, like pockets of sin and death. Those were the Umbrages, and Sabe had had an up close experience in one of those that he never hoped to repeat.

They passed over the spot in the hallway where Sabe had been hit with a stun gun and kidnapped. The section looked so normal. He had seen a kid driving a toy truck over the wall, just inches away from where Sabe had fallen. It was difficult to think it hadn’t all been a terrible dream.

When they reached the elevator, Sabe’s phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket. “It’s Elibitha,” he said with a sigh, sliding his finger across the button to answer it. “Good morning, Ms. Gaard.”

“You are supposed to notify me every time you come into Nukan City, Mr. De Moncreaux,” she said sharply.

“I’m with Alex.”

“Mr. Black hasn’t placed an access request.”

“Tell her I’m not logging requests,” said Alex, then louder, aimed at the phone, “I’m not logging requests!”

“He says he’s not logging requests,” Sabe told Elibitha.

“I heard,” she said, like she was speaking through clenched teeth. “I am going to have to report this infraction to Mr. Hart.”

“We’re just going to have lunch,” Sabe whined. “Can’t I go anywhere on my own?”

“No. Those are my orders, Mr. De Moncreaux. I’m sending a lift now.”

Alex shook his head. He didn’t like riding in Gabriel’s private transport, even though it was faster. Sabe told Elibitha, “We’re going to take the public trams today. No need.”

“Mr. De Moncreaux, I must really insist.”

“Sorry, Ms. Gaard, not today. Our lift is here, gotta go, bye!” He hung up, even as he heard her protest over the line. He stuffed the phone back in his pocket.

“Smooth.” Alex smirked at him as they stepped onto the short drift lift that would take them up to the first transport level on twenty. The residential lift was rickety and squeaked a lot as it slowly climbed up the tower. There was no one else there with them, so Sabe sat down, stretching out over two of the seats. 

“You’re just jealous you can’t be this awesome,” said the young man, leaning his head back against the wall.

Alex stood, holding on to the overhead bar, swaying a little with the steady click of the rising lift. “You’re laying in gum,” he said after a moment of watching Sabe lounge smugly.

Sabe jerked up, feeling the sticky mess as it pulled free from the wall, fused his hair at the back of his head. “Alex! You could have told me before I laid down!” He tried pulling at it, but it was really stuck in there. He’d have to cut his hair off, which meant evening out the rest, which wouldn’t leave him any extra hair to hide his ears.

“I didn’t want to interrupt you being awesome,” said the black-haired demon. Sabe glared up at him. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I can get it out. Come here.”

Still glaring, Sabe got up and walked over to stand before Alex. He turned around, giving the man access to the back of his head. Alex’s long fingers pushed into his hair, tugging at the gum. Sabe winced. “Ouch. What are you doing? Can’t you use a spell to remove it?”

“Give me a second. I’m locating and identifying the covalent polymer structure.”

“Ow! What?”

“I’m finding the part that makes it sticky. Now hold still, or you’re going to have a bald spot.”

Sabe held onto the seat edge and waited. After another couple seconds, he heard a snap of energy, then Alex was sliding his fingers freely through Sabe’s hair, removing the remnants of the gum. 

“There, all done,” he declared. “It’s out. No bald spots.” 

Sabe touched the back of his head just to make sure. All his hair was still there, but covered with a chalky residue. He brushed it away quickly, then sniffed his hand. It smelled like gum. Sabe assumed it was what was left after Alex had done his magic on the sticky parts. “Thanks, but you still could have warned me,” he said, walking over and taking a seat on the bench by the door. 

“You’re right. I should have. I’ll buy you a doughnut to make up for it.”

Sabe looked up, bright-eyed. “Instead of the cafe?” 

“No, and only _one_ doughnut, Sabe. You’re not eating a whole box again.” 

“You said you didn’t want any.” 

“I didn’t. I don’t like sweets, but that didn’t mean you had to eat them all at once. They were supposed to last you a couple days.”

“But doughnuts are best when they’re warm and gooey! I had to eat them fast.” He pouted a bit, blinking up at Alex with big, russet colored eyes.

“That look doesn’t work on me,” Alex said firmly. “We’re having lunch at the cafe, then you’ll get one doughnut. If you want more, you can ask Gabriel.”

“Fine,” Sabe sighed, giving up. One doughnut was still better than none. “So why do you think he’s avoiding me if he’s not bored with me?”

“Probably just busy,” Alex mumbled, looking away. 

“He’s always busy. It’s like he thinks the whole city will fall apart if he’s not there,” said Sabe. “Still, he usually he lets me visit. He added a couch by the window so I could take naps in the sun while he worked.”

“That’s what you do when you’re up there during the day? Sleep?”

Wrinkling his nose, Sabe said, “What did you think I did? Filing and typing?”

Alex shrugged. “I don’t know. Not sleeping.”

A corner of Sabe’s mouth twitched up and he said, “Well, sometimes I don’t sleep.”

Sharply pointing a grey-nailed finger at him, Alex said, “Don’t even start.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Sabe protested.

“You implied it. I don’t want to hear it.”

Sabe huffed. He crossed his arms over his chest and slumped in the seat. “You’re such a prude.” He tapped his foot, staring across the empty lift, listening to the click of the tracks. Public transport was slow. He used to not notice, but he’d gotten accustomed to riding around in Gabriel’s private cars. 

Gabriel was registered with diplomatic transit designations. All his business and personal transports were authorized to use the emergency access tunnels. Within shared lines, public lifts shifted into docking ports to allow him to pass. He could get anywhere in Nukan City within an hour. If Sabe took public lines the whole way, it took him at least twice as long just to go from Alex’s apartment up to the office. 

They arrived at level twenty, the first of the major transport bays in the towers. Sabe hopped up, following Alex out of the lift when the doors opened. It wasn’t very busy there, but there were a few people hanging around waiting for the next trams to cycle through. 

Long drift tracks led from this floor up to the higher transport bays on levels fifty and one-hundred. If people wanted to go higher than that, they had to transfer to another lift at that point. The Links, the clear tunnels that connected one block of buildings to the next, began then too, but those were expensive to gain access for, even at the lowest levels. Sabe was fortunate Alex paid for his pass. He’d never have been able to afford it on his own. 

Hurrying, Alex and Sabe jogged over to the short drift express tram that rose directly to the shopping district. They got on just before the doors closed. The tram was busy, but since it was the middle of the day and most people were at work, it wasn’t terribly crowded. 

They found open seats across from the door, though the man next to those seats had his legs spread wide and his arms crossed aggressively over his chest. He stared at the overhead screens that displayed Nukan City news and advertisements, and looked like he would put up a fight if anyone tried to convince him to take up less space. 

Alex took the seat furthest away from the man, leaving Sabe to squeeze in between them. The caenid shifted, trying not to bump up against the stranger, but that left him pressed against Alex’s side. 

The demon had issues with being touched. Crowds were sometimes overwhelming for him. Once, in a particularly dense crowd, Sabe felt him work magic, creating a crackling aura of energy that filled the air with a looming sense of dread. Even Sabe had been unnerved, only staying close because he had hold of the edge of Alex’s black sweater. Other people had shifted away from them without any conscious realization of what they were doing. When they finally got a chance to step into an empty alley, Alex had apologized, but they stayed there for over an hour while the demon brought himself under control. 

Despite all that, he didn’t complain when Sabe leaned against him. His body tensed, and he bounced his leg as a distraction, but he didn’t flinch or pull away. 

“Sorry,” whispered Sabe.

“You’re fine,” Alex replied, his voice low. He closed his eyes. If he hadn’t been so tense, someone might have assumed he was sleeping.

The overhead screens displayed a public service announcement on energy usage. A young woman with dark brown, naturally curly hair spoke. She had gold lines painted on her brown skin, decorated like the embodiment of the sun.

“…That’s why it’s important to do your part. With unused lights off, our days of sun will shine brighter, and Nukan City Electric will be able to keep all the cooling grids active all summer long,” she said. The camera pulled back to show her whole body. She was wearing a tight gold lamé bodysuit. She stuck a dramatic pose, like a superhero. “Together, everyone in Nukan City can enjoy cool summer fun in our long days of sun.” She winked and gave the camera a bright, pretty smile.

Sabe was a little envious of her. As a kid, he’d had braces to straighten his teeth, but they hadn’t removed or filed his fangs. He had been raised to participate in pageants against other caenid children. Healthy, pointed caenid teeth were one of the things judges always looked for. 

It was also one of the ways they checked temperament. 

Snapping at a judge as they pulled back his lips and prodded about the inside of his mouth was a quick way to lose a lot of points in a competition. Some of the judges performed their exams roughly, like they were trying to goad the young caenids into biting, but Sabe had never done it. He had been a well trained child, and even when one of the judges stuck two gloved fingers down his throat and made him gag, he hadn’t tried to bite. 

Now, he wished he had. He wished he could smile without fear of someone recognizing what he was and alerting animal control. If he was caught, the authorities would try to reunite him with his previous owner. They might discover the man had gone missing six months ago, and they might find out Sabe had something to do with it. 

There was no jail for caenids. If they suspected he was dangerous or had hurt a human, they would put him down, no questions asked. No amount of pageant trophies or best-of-show ribbons would save him from that. 

“Good afternoon, Nukan City transit,” said the smiling news anchor on the overhead displays. Sabe leaned his head against Alex’s shoulder and watched the screen. “My name is Canthia Jones, here with today’s headlines.” She looked into a second camera to the right, and the view shifted, keeping her gaze. “Record high temperatures have put a strain on the energy grids in the south sector of Nukan City. While ventilation remains unimpeded, the lower quarter is functioning on emergency lights and transport only. Some area of the buildings are recording temperatures over ninety-five degrees. Teams are in place to fix the issue, but authorities say it could be another two to three hours before full results take effect.” 

“That would be terrible,” Sabe murmured. 

“What?” asked Alex, barely moving his lips. His eyes were still closed. 

“Being stuck in a tower with no light or air.”

“They have air, it’s just not being cooled.”

“It still sounds awful.”

Alex grunted in agreement, but didn’t say more. Sabe turned his attention back to the screen as the news anchor finished up the second story. 

“…and without a permit, the aquarium will be torn down. The final ruling is scheduled for the fourteenth.” She turned back to the other camera and said, “Legislation passed this morning in both the House and Senate with tri-partisan support to legalize citizenship status for the biologically-developed caenid species.”

Loud enough to startle the other passengers on the tram, Sabe exclaimed, “What!?”

Alex opened his black eyes, looking up at the broadcast.

“Executive ratification is expected to process this afternoon. Majority support for the bill comes just days after the shocking discovery of activity in illicit caenid brothels by several prominent naturalization opponents. One of the congressmen was found deceased in a hotel due to an alleged drug overdose the day after the scandal was revealed. Authorities are still determining any potential foul play.” The camera angle switched. The news anchor began a new story, and Sabe spun around to face Alex.

“It passed,” said the demon, a little breathless.

“What passed??? Alex, what does this mean?” Sabe demanded frantically. It felt like the world had suddenly started spinning in the other direction. Every color in that tram was too vibrant. The hum of the fans forcing recycled air through the ducts in the monolith was deafening, drowning out everything but the pounding of Sabe’s heart.

He had to be dreaming. Had he accidentally gotten into Alex’s drugs? Was he high? That was more believable than the words the news anchor said.

“It means you’re free. No one can legally own you anymore.”

Sabe turned his eyes up to stare at the screen as his surreal new reality washed over him. The drone of words made no sense. The broadcaster’s lips moved out of sync with the audio. 

The smell of disinfectant and polyester hit Sabe’s nose. It was cloying and overwhelming, barely masking the grime it tried to cover.

A woman by the door shushed her baby as she gently bounced him in her arms. A bottle of milk sloshed in the diaper bag at her side with every move she made.

A man in the corner sucked his teeth clean, then scraped his nail over the enamel to remove the remaining residue. He stared at it for a moment before putting his finger back in his mouth and sucking it clean.

The patterns on the seat glared more vividly than Sabe had ever noticed before. Every little detail in that tram hit him at once, as his mind tried desperately to make sense of the overwhelming thought of real freedom.

It was like Sabe had blinked, and opened his eyes in a whole new world. 

“I’m not… I can’t be owned again?” he whispered.

“No. Not that I would have let that happen anyway, but no. No one can ever own you again,” said Alex. “You’re free.”

The knowledge slowly sank in. It filled him like light. A laugh burst out of him as a weight he hadn’t even known he was carrying lifted from his body. His laughter turned to sobs of joy, tears pouring down his cheeks, then back to laughter. He alternated between the two, feeling like he’d gone crazy. 

People in the tram looked at him like he _was_ crazy. The woman by the door shushed her baby a little louder, even though the infant’s eyes were heavy and drifting closed. The spread out man beside Sabe pulled his leg away from Sabe’s seat and gave him a dirty look. 

Alex grinned at him, a full, wide smile that made the black-haired man appear brighter and younger. He held out his pale hand, offering it to Sabe in a gesture that the caenid knew carried a lot of meaning for the demon. Trembling, Sabe linked his fingers with Alex’s as a fresh wave of emotion overcame him. 

For the rest of the tram ride, Sabe clung to his friend’s hand. Alex’s pale fingers looked ghostlike against Sabe’s light brown skin. His grey nails were smooth and opaque, all of them trimmed short except his pinkie. The caenid focused on the little details, because everything else was just too much. 

When the lift stopped, Alex didn’t let go of Sabe’s hand. He led him off the tram and away from the crowd. Sabe followed close, trusting Alex to guide him, because he couldn’t see anything through his tears. 

They entered a public bathroom, and Alex led Sabe over to the sink and released his hand. He turned the hot water on then pulled a small square of fabric from his pocket.

Alex gently wiped away Sabe’s tears with the soft cloth. “You’ve got to stop crying,” he said lightly. “People will think I’m abusing you.”

“I-I’m just so h-happy!” Sabe sobbed. He sniffled back snot. The lump in his throat threatened to suffocate him.

The water ran hot, steam rising up. Alex took the fabric and soaked it in the water. He shut the tap off, squeezed out the excess moisture, then pressed the hot, damp cloth to Sabe’s eyes. The heat soothed his puffy skin. Sabe’s tears slowed. He focused on breathing normally again.

Alex continued to dab at Sabe’s face until the young man brought himself under control. Calmer, Sabe took the cloth from Alex and scrubbed his face with it. He looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were red and puffy, but he was smiling.

“I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it, Sabe. You’re free.” Alex looked at the caenid’s reflection. “Well, as free as you can be with Gabriel.”

“Gabriel!” Sabe exclaimed suddenly. “I need to talk to Gabriel. Can we go see him?”

Alex shook his head. “No. You can call him, but I’m not going up there.”

“I have to see him, Alex, and you’ve got to come with me. I’m so happy right now, I think I could explode. If you don’t come with me, I won’t make it. I’ll end up sobbing on the floor in another lift.”

With a heavy sigh, Alex said, “Fine, I’ll take you there, but I’m not staying. Call him first, make sure he’s in the office.”

Sabe fished his phone out of his pocket and pressed the button on the screen that connected him directly with Gabriel. It rang once, twice, and then Gabriel picked up.

“Yes?”

“Gabriel! Did you hear the news?!”

“I did. I just received the notification.” He had that cold tone he got over the phone when there were other people in the room near him. 

“I want to see you. I want to celebrate! This is amazing, Gabriel. Can I come over?”

There was a pause, and before Gabriel spoke, Sabe felt some of his elation dissipate. “No. A client just arrived. I have a meeting right now. I’ll have to call you back later and set up a time then.”

“But Gabriel-”

“Later. Thanks.” Then the line went dead.

Sabe blinked, staring down at his phone. Alex took it from his hand, powering it down completely. “He’s an idiot,” the demon said, stuffing the phone in his back pocket. “Let’s go get lunch. And after, let’s eat at every dessert shop on the next six levels.”

Sabe sniffled a bit. He looked up at Alex. “All of them? Even the ice cream bar?”

“Especially the ice cream bar. We’re going to eat so much ice cream that they’ll have to roll us out.” He smiled at Sabe warmly. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you.”

“Alex,” Sabe whimpered. He flung himself forward, wrapping his arms around the skinny man’s waist and pressing his face against his chest. Alex held up his hands in the air while Sabe hugged him, not returning the embrace, but not pushing him away, either. Eventually, Sabe released him, turning to wash his face at the sink. 

A few minutes later, they left the bathroom and began their voyage to eat every dessert in the shopping district.


	5. Gabriel: 2nd Degree of Tides, 1676 NE

There was nowhere Gabriel would rather be at that moment than with Sabe, celebrating the start of his species’ freedom and acceptance into society. Sabe’s excitement had been palpable over the line, and Gabriel felt miserable about turning him down. He knew he would have to work to make up for it later, but for now, he had a different issue that required his undivided attention. 

“Raf, I’m so pleased you could make it,” said Gabriel, placing his fist over his heart and bowing slightly, a sign of respect for the Ahnnak who approached across the lobby of his office. Charlet and Elibitha stood behind him at his left, bowed deeply.

Rafael, Ahnnak, Arch healer of E’din, guardian of the lost, walked proudly across the room in his standard, gaudy attire. He wore an electric blue and green geometric pattern suit with matching tie. The dark sepia tones of his skin contrasted vibrantly beneath the suit and the ridiculous blond pompadour style he still wore his hair in. 

Gabriel could not imagine any situation where that outfit wouldn’t look like a joke from the start of the post nuclear era. Raf was a large portion of the reason Gabriel gave the majority of his home, office, and clothing decisions over to interior designers and stylists. He did not want to show up everywhere looking like an eccentric lunatic from decades past.

What was worse, the woman who walked beside him was dressed to match in a solid blue knee-length dress with a tightly cinched waist. Her skin was very pale, as if she intentionally avoided sunlight, and her black bangs cut a sharp line across her forehead. Brown eyes sparkled with amusement as she strolled in beside Raf. There was something about her Gabriel immediately did not like. 

“Gabriel, always so lovely to see you,” said Raf as he approached. He returned the bow, fist over his heart. They stood there, smiling at each other like plastic dolls. 

“Won’t you come in to my office?” offered Gabriel graciously. “Charlet will care for the needs of your… assistant?”

“Consort,” Raf corrected.

_Of course it was his fucking consort._ Gabriel smiled at her with all the respect the position demanded. She held out her perfectly manicured hand, and he took it, placing a light kiss across her knuckles. She reeked of Rafael. She must have been with him for a few years already.

With intentional chivalry, Gabriel said, “I am in awe of your beauty. How was Rafael able to capture the heart of one as fair as you? Please, may I ask your name?”

She snapped the gum in her mouth, creating a minty burst of the scent in the air. In a drawling, denser version of Raf’s own southern hemisphere island accent, she said, “My name’s Layla. Raf hired me. Nice office you’ve got here.”

Gabriel fought hard to keep his plastic smile in place. He released her hand and turned his attention back to the Ahnnak. “I am certain Charlet will care for Layla while we have a chance to catch up.”

Raf nodded, the amused look in his eyes showing he knew exactly what Gabriel was thinking, despite his best efforts to hide it. “Certainly. Possum, would you mind waiting out here?”

The woman plopped down on a chair, the crinoline of her skirts puffing around her. “I don’t mind, Raf. Take your time.”

As Gabriel led Rafael into the private office, Charlet, his wonderfully attentive morning assistant, approached Layla with a smile. “Tea?” 

“Thanks, I’d love a cuppa,” said Layla.

Gabriel closed the door tightly.

Instantly, they both dropped the act. 

“You should see your face!” Raf laughed.

“She was chewing _gum_ , Raf,” Gabriel said, turning around with a scowl.

“I told her it would help her ears pop after the flight,” said the healer, fully amused with himself.

“I don’t like this one,” Gabriel griped.

“You didn’t like the last one either.”

“Did you pick her just to annoy me?”

Raf held his hands up, a non-committal gesture that could have meant anything. “Maybe if you ever took a consort of your own, you wouldn’t be so critical of the choices of others.”

“Why would I take a consort when I have employees?” Gabriel shot back, but his mind drifted to Sabe. _No_ , he could not afford to think of him right now.

Raf’s wide grin stretched his face as he walked across the room to look out the window. Summer light glinted off the mirrored towers of Nukan City. A haze of heat covered the stone and glass. Raf caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window and ran his palms over his hair, smoothing the sides down. He gave the front of the pompadour a little twist to accentuate his curl. 

“Your city has grow since I last saw it. Quite a difference fifty years can make.” 

“Has it been that long?” Gabriel asked as he walked over to his desk. He checked the intercom to ensure it was off. Not that he thought Charlet or Elibitha would eavesdrop. It was just a precaution.

“Yes. You had this lovely young assistant at the time, and I remember thinking I was going to steal her from you.” Raf looked back over his shoulder with a mischievous grin.

Gabriel sat on the edge of the desk, adjusting his bound wings so they were spread open behind him. He tried to think back to Rafael’s last visit. It had ended with them arguing, but he couldn’t remember about what. Probably Michael. Maybe Uriel’s project. He thought back, searching his memories. Who had he employed at the time? 

When he remembered, Gabriel’s silver eyebrows raised. “Arquette?”

Raf snapped his fingers. “That was her name. She was a beaut.”

“She still works for me,” Gabriel replied, smiling a little. 

“Does she? I might have to swing by when she’s here and say hello. Think she’ll remember me?” Raf straightened his neon suit collar, turning toward Gabriel. 

“You tend to make an impression.”

“You’re one to talk,” Raf laughed. He sat down in the chair across from the desk, crossing his legs and looking altogether comfortable. “So, are you going to offer me a drink, or is it straight down to business?”

Gabriel slipped off the desk and walked over to the shelves where he kept a healthy supply of alcohol for occasions like this. “Your usual, I assume?”

“Yes. Bourbon, on the rocks, if you wouldn’t mind. I always try to enjoy the local cuisine while I’m here.” 

Gabriel selected a straight sided tumbler and an aged bourbon. He poured a generous splash of the alcohol in, then drew a quick circle in the air above the glass. Moisture condensed and chilled instantly, freezing into a perfectly round sphere of ice. The ice dropped into the tumbler with little splash of liquid and a clink against the glass. He brought the finished drink over to Raf, then sat on the edge of the desk again. 

By sitting on the desk, he was intentionally putting himself in a higher position than the healer. It was his office, his city, his continent, and he was in charge. Even if he had requested Raf’s presence, the hierarchy had to be maintained. 

Also, Gabriel was currently too tense to fold his wings fully and sit in his executive chair pretending to be human. Sitting on the edge of the desk gave him an excuse to keep them spread without revealing his apprehension. 

Both Raf and Gabriel used the same process of bending light and numbing contact to keep their wings hidden from the public, but even there, in that private room, neither revealed themselves. Gabriel could sense Raf’s wings, just as he was certain the healer could sense his own, but they remained hidden. Only a brief shimmer to the air or a gentle puff of shifting wind was evidence of either of their movements.

Raf sniffed the bourbon, closing his eyes and enjoying the rich and intricate scent of the drink. After he sipped the alcohol, Raf gave Gabriel an appreciative smile. “You do have an eye for the finer things, Gabriel. I wonder why I don’t visit you more often.”

“Because you’re not welcome here, Raf,” Gabriel replied bluntly, watching the blond healer as he enjoyed another sip of the bourbon. “Now, can we get down to business, or do I need to order lunch for you as well?”

Raf’s smile widened. “Oh, yes. Now I remember why I don’t visit. It’s your charming attitude.” He sat the glass of bourbon down on the table beside the chair. “Tell me, messenger, what is so important that you had to invite me here, apparently against your will, but could not discuss the details over a call?”

“I have a problem, but it is something I cannot have word of returning to Michael.”

Raf’s smile faded slowly. “What have you done now, Gabriel?”

“I have not _done_ anything. I am trying to fix something.” Gabriel sighed, releasing some of the tension he had been building up over the subject. “I need your help, though I am not sure even you could figure out this disease.”

A mix of interest and annoyance flashed over Raf’s features. “A disease? Which one? Of course I can cure it.”

“This time… I don’t know,” said Gabriel, drawing out the words as he looked out the windows, staring into the far distance. “It’s unlike anything I have ever seen before.”

Raf uncrossed his legs and sat forward in the chair, plainly interested. “Is it contagious?”

“Sort of,” answered Gabriel vaguely. “You would have to see the subjects and look at the data to understand completely.”

There was a shimmer behind Raf as his wings tensed, opening wide. With that, Gabriel knew he had the man hooked.

Rafael was a healer. He understood every aspect of organic life, from the central nervous system, to the cellular structure of musculature and bone, to all manner of medicines that could cure or destroy. The focus of his power lay in his ability to speed healing in himself and others. His boundless knowledge of biology was why Gabriel needed him, but he needed the Ahnnak loyal. 

In the thousands of years Gabriel had known Raf, he had discovered just how much the man coveted new medical mysteries. It drove him and delighted him with a nearly zealous fervor. 

Gabriel had just tempted him with the idea of a new mystery, and he could see that Raf was intrigued. Now he had to make sure Raf’s desire to discover something new was greater than his loyalty to Michael. 

“Tell me about the disease,” Raf said, doing a poor job of feigning disinterest.

Gabriel turned his eyes back to Raf slowly, as if he had been lost in thought. He furrowed his brow and frowned. “It’s complicated. It’s not an actual disease, you see. But… I don’t know, maybe I’m making a mistake asking for your help.”

“It’s probably something common. You have a lot of inbound people from all over the world. I’m sure they bring all manner of illness with them.”

Gabriel nodded along with Raf’s words. “You’re right. They do. That’s why we have a very thorough quarantine and inoculation system in place for all new residential arrivals. But this is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” 

Another shimmer of the air came from behind Raf as his wings gave away his piqued curiosity. Gabriel was grateful the healer was so blatantly transparent, but he did wonder how Raf ever managed to keep anything in his territory under control. 

“Well,” said Raf casually, “I’m sure I can get it cleared up with just a quick look.”

Gabriel slid off the desk, walking over to the window, keeping his back to Rafael. “There’s more to it than that, but…”

“But?”

“But I can’t have word of any of this returning to Michael.” He sighed heavily. “I think I might have wasted your time asking you to come here.”

Rafael stood. “Damn your feud with Michael! I don’t care! I’m not on your side, but I’m sure as hell not on his side either.”

Gabriel turned his head, looking back over his shoulder, peering past his straight silver hair. “He does not ask you to report to him after you have visited me?”

“Of course he does, damn it. And I’ll tell him the same thing I tell him every time. Gabriel is an asshole, and if he wants lackeys to spy for him, he better find someone seventy-thousand years younger.” Raf crossed his arms over his chest, the garish pattern to his suit bunching. He glared at Gabriel. “You want assurances I won’t talk? Fine. I, Rafael, Arch healer of E’din, will hold all information discovered on this trip under the strictest confidentiality.”

“Swear on your wings,” said Gabriel.

Raf gritted his teeth. “I swear on my wings I will not speak of any of this to Michael.”

Gabriel turned to him with a genuine smile. “I knew I could count on you, Raf. Now, let’s discuss the demon-made poison that has been sterilizing people in my city.”

Raf’s eyes widened as he took in the words, then narrowed as he realized the implications, and what, exactly, he had just agreed to. He glared angrily. “You’re a snake in the grass, Gabriel.”

Gabriel smirked, raising one fine silver eyebrow. “Do you want to see the lab or not?”

Raf turned, picked up the glass of bourbon, and downed the remaining liquor in one gulp. He sat the glass back down. “There. Now I’m ready. You better not make me regret this.”

“When have I ever done something like that?” Gabriel asked, leading the way out of the office. Raf only glared.

***

The primary offices of Lorsmith Tech were situated in the one-hundredth-twenty-fifth level of Daxious Obelisk, but the private laboratory Gabriel had acquired for a small, select group of scientists was located on the two-hundred-and-eighth level. The private lift had to drop down to the Links from Gabriel’s office at Wolfram Logistics, before going back up several towers over. It was a quick trip, and could have been pleasant, had Raf not insisted his consort join them. She posed on the seat beside Raf, a vision of perfection, as if she thought someone might snap her picture at any moment.

At least she wasn’t chewing gum anymore.

The door swished open, and Gabriel led the way into the private laboratory, unlocking the doors with a touch to the biometric scanner. 

Gabriel had already called ahead and let James know they were coming. She was waiting as they walked in, clipboard in hand and big glasses perched on the end of her nose. She had lost more weight since Gabriel last saw her, and he made note to cater dinners for the scientists at the lab a couple times per week. If they weren’t eating well, they would quickly lose focus. With Raf there, he needed them to focus.

“James, this is Rafael Altjira, the medical expert I mentioned would be stopping by,” said Gabriel, giving a quick introduction.

Without hesitation, James stuck out her hand. “Mr. Altjira, it is a pleasure to meet you. I hope you might have some insight to help us shed new light on this problem we’ve been having.”

Raf shook her hand and smiled broadly. “Please, call me Raf. I must say, I’m getting quite curious to see what the fuss is all about.” He released her hand. “Where are my manners? This is Layla. She is my assistant.”

James did the proper thing and offered her hand to Layla as well, though Gabriel wished she had just ignored her. “Nice to meet you, Layla.”

“Nice to meet you, too. Nice setup you’ve got here.”

“Thanks,” said James. She looked between Layla and Raf. “What part of Oceania did you come from?”

Layla smiled. “Central Straya. How could you tell?” she asked in her thick accent, grinning.

James took the question seriously. “I recognized your accent. Between that, and Mr. Altjira’s distinct aboriginal traits, it was a fairly easy conclusion. May I ask, is your hair naturally blond?”

“It is,” Raf replied, not at all put off by the scientist’s lack of social tact. “Though I still must insist you call me Raf.”

“Sorry. Raf.” James looked him up and down. “Without your assistant, I might have mistaken you as a local. You hardly have an accent.”

“Does it make you feel better if I talk like this?” Raf asked, mimicking the accent of his consort.

James frowned. “No. It just sounds like you’re pretending now.”

“All accents are pretend,” Raf replied, slipping back into his version of the local dialect. “Even Gabriel’s accent is pretend, though I must say, he’s a little better at pretending than the rest of us.” 

James gave Gabriel a strange look. He turned his icy gaze to her and raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t paying her to ask questions about him, and he was fairly certain she knew better. “Let’s look at the latest test results,” he insisted before she disappointed his impression of her.

“Yes, sir. Follow me.” James led the way into the laboratory.

Before they followed her through the doors, Gabriel stopped Layla. “Wait here.”

“I go where Raf goes,” she replied insolently.

To Rafael, speaking subvocally, Gabriel said, “She cannot see.”

“She stays with me,” Raf replied in the same manner, inaudible to humans. 

“Then you cannot see,” stated Gabriel. He looked at Raf with cold blue eyes, knowing what the Ahnnak would choose.

“Possum, wait here a spell,” said Raf in his regular voice. 

Layla pouted. “But I want be with you.”

The affectation in her voice grated on Gabriel. The woman practically vibrated with an artificial aura. Gabriel really did not like her. He couldn’t imagine Raf had seriously taken her in as his most recent consort. He had to have just brought her along to annoy Gabriel. 

If they stayed long enough, it would probably work.

Raf stuck out his lower lip, mimicking her, and leaned in to kiss her pouting lips with his. “I’ll be right back, possum. No worries, right?”

“Fine. Just don’t take long, alright? I’m getting knackered.” She swished her skirts back and forth and they made a rustling sound that was vaguely reminiscent of feathers.

Gabriel pushed Raf through the door. He pointed to the chairs in the lobby next to the snack machine. “Wait there, eat some energy bars, take a nap. You’ll be fine.” He followed Raf through the door and closed it before either Ahnnak or woman could protest.

Raf was glaring at him, arms crossed over his chest. Gabriel shrugged. “What? You two are sickening to watch. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“Maybe if you ever took a consort, you would understand,” said Raf grumpily.

“You hire them. That’s no different than my employees.”

Bristling, Raf said, “It is very different.”

At the end of the hall, James impatiently stood waiting. She cleared her throat loudly. 

Letting a little more of his irritation slip through than necessary, Gabriel said, “I’ll get you and your consort reservations to a nice restaurant this evening as apology. Is that good enough? Can we focus on the debilitating demonic plague I have spreading through my city now?”

Raf glared at him, the air behind him shimmering as he contemplated his options. Ultimately, curiosity won out. “Fine, but they better be good reservations.”

They caught up with James at the end of the hall and began the tour that would show the Ahnnak healer what they were dealing with. Gabriel only hoped bringing him here was worth the risk.


	6. Alex: 2nd Degree of Tides, 1676 NE

“He hates me,” Sabe cried, shoveling another scoop of ice cream into his mouth. Tears streaked down his cheeks.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Alex assured his overly sensitive friend. They’d hit seven dessert shops in the past two hours. The young man was running on an emotionally charged sugar high, despite Alex’s best efforts to keep him at just one small treat per shop. He didn’t know what else to do with him, though. It seemed wrong to take him home. Sabe should be out celebrating the news of his freedom, not wallowing in pity that his boyfriend was a complete moron. 

Sabe sniffled back snot. “You know, half the time we have sex, he doesn’t even come? It’s like I’m not good enough for him. I want to make him feel good, Alex.”

“Keep your voice down, Sabe,” Alex urged, giving a weak smile to the woman at the table next to them. She frowned back, her mouth set in a deep, disapproving crease. Her young kid was at the table with her, babbling away about something, completely oblivious. 

“I think he wants more from me,” Sabe continued undeterred, eating another large scoop of ice cream. “I’m just afraid of how much anal sex will hurt. There’s no way I can get anything up my butt.”

The woman gave Alex a scandalized gasp as she covered her kid’s ears. Alex grimaced. 

Before they could be kicked out of another shop, Alex said, “Alright, you’re done, Sabe. Let’s go.” He grabbing the caenid’s arm and hoisted him from the table. 

“But my ice cream!” 

Alex reached back, grabbed the container, and shoved it into Sabe’s hands as they left the ice cream shop. He could feel the woman’s glare on his back the whole way out of the store. 

They walked a few shops up before Alex released the caenid’s arm. “Where are we going now?” Sabe asked. “A cupcake place?”

“No. I think you’ve had enough dessert, Sabe.”

“I don’t want to go home, Alex,” he replied, getting teary eyed again.

“I’m not taking you home.”

“Then where?”

“We’re going to a bar. I’m going to get you drunk.” He was desperate. Drunk Sabe had to be more manageable than heartbroken Sabe.

“Oh.” Sabe thought for a moment. “Am I allowed to go in a bar?”

“Your ID band states you’re twenty-three.”

“But I’m only twenty.”

“And I’m not really thirty-one. It’ll be fine. They just scan the band at the door, mostly to ensure there are enough credits in the account to buy a few drinks.” 

Sabe walked quietly beside Alex while he scraped the rest of the ice cream from the side of the cup. “You don’t look thirty-one,” he said after dropping the empty container in a compost bin along the path.

“How old do I look?”

“Younger. Sometimes.”

“I reset my accounts once every decade, about when it becomes obvious my age doesn’t match the date on file. I used to barely pass for twenty-five, back before people started using surgery to make themselves look younger. Now I can age to almost forty before anyone starts asking questions.”

They went to a dive bar called _Ruckus_ on the forty-second level. It wasn’t anything as elaborate as the clubs in the entertainment district, but it had alcohol, music, and a dance floor. It would do the job for tonight.

The bouncer scanned their wrist bands at the door, barely glancing at the screen as it beeped. It was early enough that inside the bar wasn’t busy, though there were plenty of people already there drinking and dancing. 

Alex took a seat at a booth where he could keep his back to the wall and watch the dance floor. He placed an order at the table kiosk, not bothering to ask Sabe what he wanted. He scanned his wristband to open the tab, though by the looks a few of the other patrons were giving them, he doubted they’d need to buy that many of their own drinks tonight. 

The waitress quickly brought over two matching flights of five vodka shots. Alex thanked her and leaned back as she placed a row before each of them. She smiled at him and walked back to the bar.

“You done this before?” Alex asked the young man across from him. 

“Shots? No.”

Alex picked up one of the small glasses, holding it between his thumb and ring finger. “Tilt your head back as you raise the glass, try to swallow it without letting it touch your tongue. Like this.” With exaggerated movements, Alex brought the glass to his lips, raised his head, and tilted the shot, swallowing the vodka immediately. He flipped the empty glass upside down and placed it on the table with a clink. “Easy. You try.” 

Sabe slid forward, focused and serious. He picked up one of the glasses, brought it to his lips, and tilted his head back, pouring it into his mouth. He didn’t swallow fast enough, and his eyes started to water as he smacked the empty shot glass back down on the table. “ _Oh, fuck that burns!_ ” he exclaimed, gasping.

Laughing, Alex said, “You’re not supposed to taste it, just pour it down your throat.” He moved the two empty glasses off to the side. They each had four more shots. “You ready?”

“For what?” Sabe asked, blinking rapidly. 

“To race, of course. First to finish wins.”

“I’m not racing you. No way that’s fair.”

“I’ll give you a head start. Two shots. Plus, if you beat me, I’ll dance with you.” 

Sabe’s eyes widened, clearly intrigued by the idea. “You dance?”

“Guess you’ll have to beat me to find out. Ready?”

“You won’t start until I’m two shots down, right?”

“Yes. Go.”

Sabe gulped down the first shot. He grabbed the second, flung it back, and grabbed the third. The third empty glass clicked on the table and Sabe raised the fourth to his lips as Alex sat his final empty shot glass on the table. 

“Done,” he said, grinning at the caenid.

Sabe downed the last shot, even though he’d lost, then pointed the empty glass at Alex. “You cheat.”

“I don’t cheat. I’m just faster than you.”

“That’s cheating.” 

The waitress returned with a beer and a soda. She laughed when she saw the shots were already gone. “You boys aren’t playing around tonight, are you?”

“We’re celebrating,” Alex told her with a smile. 

“Oh, what for?”

“Freedom,” Sabe said.

She grinned back at him. “That’s always a good reason to celebrate. Well, if you boys need anything else, don’t hesitate to buzz me.” She bustled back over to the bar. 

“Beer or soda, Sabe?”

“Soda,” the caenid replied, already reaching for the glass. He gulped down half of the sugary drink before he took a breath. “That’s better.”

Alex sipped the beer. He could see pink beneath Sabe’s skin as his body began to react to the quick shots of alcohol. The tension in the young man’s shoulders began to ease, which was the whole point of encouraging him to drink that much that fast.

“You were never going to dance with me, were you?” Sabe accused. 

“Not tonight, no.”

“Can you dance?”

“Everyone can dance, Sabe. The question is, can I dance well.”

“Can you?”

“Guess you’ll have to beat me one day and find out.”

The caenid frowned. “Why do you always have to be so damn secretive, Alex?”

He shrugged and smirked, taking another sip of the beer. 

With a huff, Sabe leaned back against the booth. He closed his eyes, and his breathing slowed, calming. The vodka was taking effect. His skin was flushed. Alex wondered if he had miscalculated how much alcohol the young man could handle, but he knew the caenid’s metabolism would process it quickly. 

“Alex?” 

“Yeah?”

“Do you think something is wrong with me?” 

“No, Sabe. Why do you ask?”

Sabe’s tongue slid over his lips. Nervously, he said, “After Quintin kidnapped me… After all the things he threatened to do… Sometimes… I have these bad thoughts, and I can’t get them out of my head.” His russet eyes opened, peering across the table to Alex.

Concerned, Alex asked, “Bad thoughts?” He had been monitoring the young man’s state after the kidnapping, attuned to any insecurities he may have developed. Besides the couple months where he’d been skittish around sudden noises, Sabe seemed fairly stable. To think he might be having thoughts of hurting himself, which Alex had overlooked, was troubling.

Nodding, Sabe bit his lip. One of his fangs peeked from the corner of his mouth. He looked down at his soda, keeping his eyes downcast like he was ashamed of himself. “He wanted to do so many bad things to me… He called me names and treated me like a dog, and it was terrible. Life with him would have been terrible.” His fingers ran up and down the side of the soda glass, tracing patterns in the condensation. “And sometimes… Sometimes I’ll be sitting with Gabriel, watching a show, doing nothing, and then all of a sudden, I’m hit with this terrible thought, and I just want him to pin me down and bite my neck or pull my hair.”

Alex exhaled slowly in relief. Sabe didn’t want to hurt himself. That was good. “Those aren’t bad thoughts, Sabe.”

“I shouldn’t want Gabriel to treat me like that. It’s wrong, Alex.” The caenid’s brow creased. “I don’t want him to see me as some filthy mutt.”

“You are not a filthy mutt. Wanting Gabriel to be a little rough isn’t something to feel ashamed about,” Alex said, even if the topic made him uncomfortable. He could tell this had been bothering Sabe for a while, so couldn’t easily dismiss the subject. “You’re young. Hell, you’re not even done growing. You still have a lot to discover about yourself.”

Sabe slid the soda glass in a small circle, watching it glide on the ring of moisture on the table. “Sometimes, when he’s distracted, he’ll pick me up and move me around like it’s nothing. He’s so strong, and it just makes me feel all gooey inside.” He spoke like he’d been caught in a daydream. The alcohol was beginning to hit him hard. “There are days I just want him to shove me to my knees and tell me to suck.”

“ _Sabe_ ,” Alex groaned, exasperated. He rubbed his temple, wishing he could burn the imagery from his brain. 

“He won’t, though,” Sabe said, as if that excused his words. “He never even lets me swallow. What am I doing wrong? What if I let him screw me and I’m just as bad at that?”

“Have you tried talking to Gabriel about any of this?” Alex asked desperately. He wanted out of this conversation _right now_. Searching across the room, he made eye contact with one of the other patrons. He flashed him a brief smile, letting the man know he was welcome to approach. 

“How can I talk to him?” Sabe asked, throwing his hands into the air dramatically. “He’s so busy, he doesn’t have time for me anymore. Plus, since you two rescued me, he’s been treating me like some fragile porcelain doll, like he’s afraid he’s going to break me.”

“He’s worried about you.” 

“It’s driving me insane. But I can’t _say_ anything, because then he’ll know I really am broken. Just a broken, filth caenid, not even worth his time.” Sabe slumped in the seat. He ran a finger around the top edge of the soda glass, staring at it with slightly unfocused eyes. “Sometimes I wish he’d just fuck me and get it over with.”

“That’s not how you want your first time to be, Sabeth,” Alex cautioned. 

The man who Alex had smiled at sauntered up to the table, grinning like he knew how handsome he was. “Hey. You wanna dance?” he asked Alex.

“I don’t,” he said, “but my friend does. Show him a good time?”

Without being offended, the man’s attention turned to Sabe. He held out his hand. “I can do that. Come on, baby.”

Sabe looked to Alex, eyes wide. “Alex… I can’t.”

“It’s fine, Sabe. It’s just dancing. Go have fun. I’ll be watching the whole time.”

Looking skeptical, but without actually having the desire to protest, Sabe took the man’s hand and allowed him to guide him to the dance floor. Before the end of the song, Sabe appeared to have forgotten he was sad. His lithe, smooth moves drew a lot of attention from the other patrons, and Alex could tell Sabe would have no problem finding dance partners tonight. 

It was a relief. Alex didn’t know how much more he could have tolerated. 

While Sabe danced, bouncing between different dance partners, a few people came over to talk to Alex. He was able to turn most of them away with a polite refusal. The only one who got pushy, trying to touch him, Alex glared at, sending a coil of fear into the man’s brain. 

The man jerked back like he’s been about to stick his hand into a box of spiders. He stumbled back, and then turned and ran out of the bar. He wouldn’t be bothering anyone else for a while.

Alex resumed sipping his beer, keeping watch over his friend on the dance floor.

Sabe danced for hours, accepting drinks from whoever offered to buy them for him. It was late when Alex finally took him home, but at least Sabe was happy, drunk, and definitely not thinking about Gabriel anymore. 

That was the best Alex could hope for.


	7. Gabriel: 2nd Degree of Tides, 1676 NE

Raf sat sideways on the swivel chair in James’ office, staring at a tablet, reading the same information over again for the tenth time. 

They had examined the lab work. They had examined the bodies. They saw the living carriers, and they viewed the microscopic detail. Raf even laid his hands on James herself and examined her affliction with a sweeping surge of his power.

“Tell me again how you discovered this in the early stages?” Raf asked. 

Gabriel stood by the wall. He probably could have recited any of the files from memory at this point. He had certainly spent enough time there trying to solve this problem on his own. Rafael really was his last hope, but even he couldn’t know everything.

“We discovered a large quantity of the new drug last Blight. Once James ran the usual tests, she called me in. I recognized the demonic pattern of the energy immediately. It was another month before we figured out exactly what it did.”

Raf’s lips pursed as he thought. “There’s your first mistake. You’re assuming demon. This isn’t demonic at all.”

“You think another Ahnnak is poisoning my city?” Gabriel asked, feigning ignorance.

“No. More likely an Ander.”

“No Ander would dare bring their tainted wings into my territory,” Gabriel replied fiercely, even though that was exactly what had happened.

Raf waved him away dismissively. “They would not need to. It could have been smuggled in. But the workmanship of the crystallization is too precise to be created by anything as recent as a demon. We’re looking at the work of something much older.” 

“Can you reverse the effects?” asked Gabriel.

Frowning, Raf said, “Of course, but… I’m not sure how. Yet. I need more time.” He looked up at Gabriel. “This is high-level work. You should have called me in sooner. If this spreads across the world, it could be catastrophic.”

“There are over fifty million people living in Nukan City. If this spreads further here, it will already be catastrophic,” Gabriel replied, his voice hard. For that, he did not need to pretend.

The healer nodded and looked back at the tablet. He read over the same information again. “You know, I’ve only seen this level of toxicity a few times before. If I didn’t know better… No. That’s absurd.” Raf laughed and set down the tablet. He rubbed his eyes with his palms, then blinked rapidly. He smiled at Gabriel. “I think I’ve been staring at that too long. What time is it?”

“The sun set two hours ago,” Gabriel replied. He knew what Raf had been thinking, about the origins of the drug, and he also knew the healer was exactly right. He didn’t want to encourage that line of thought, though. 

Rafael stood, eyes wide. “It’s night?! Oh, no. Layla!” He hurried past Gabriel for the door. “I’ll come back tomorrow, Gabriel, but I’ve got to go. I’m in heaps of trouble.” The healer sprinted down the hallway in a flash of his green and blue suit. 

He crashed out the door, and even from that far back in the laboratory, Gabriel could hear the consort exclaim, “Eleven hours?!” before Raf quickly began apologizing.

Gabriel smirked. He touched his earpiece, activating the link to his evening secretary.

“Yes, Mr. Hart?” 

“Arquette, could you send reservations to Mr. Altjira and his guest at a nice restaurant near their hotel?”

“Already done, sir. I remember he had a fondness for local cuisine the last time he was here, so I already set up standing reservations at three diners and the gourmet restaurant that opened last month. The information was sent digitally to his assistant, as well as delivered to their suite, along with a basket of wine and edibles.” Arquette paused. “Was there anything else, sir?”

Gabriel smiled, despite being alone in the room. “That will be all, Arquette. Thank you.”

“Of course, Mr. Hart. Are you just finishing up at Lorsmith Tech now?”

“Yes, I am. Mr. Altjira just left.”

“Have you seen the news, sir?” she asked, but the question had her strong disapproval behind it. Oh, no. He knew what was coming.

“I have seen the report, yes.”

“Forgive me for being blunt, Mr. Hart, but you are being very stupid.”

He rubbed his hand over his face. “I know, Arquette.”

“This is one of the biggest moments in that young man’s life. You should be there with him.”

Gabriel breathed out slowly. He knew she was right. “I cannot show weakness in front of the Arch. What would Raf have thought if I abandonded them after they arrived? They can’t know about Sabe. This is to keep him safe.”

“Maybe so, Mr. Hart, but was it really necessary to stay out all evening?” 

It wasn’t. If Gabriel had mentioned the time at any point within the last six hours, Raf probably would have been ready to take a break. The Ahnnak and his consort had come straight to Gabriel’s office from the airport. Resting and settling into their rooms would have been beneficial to them both. 

But Gabriel hadn’t said anything because he knew Raf would get lost in the research and data. He had done it out of spite, because he wasn’t fond of Raf’s current choice in consort. He was being petty, and Arquette’s sharp critique of his actions made him feel almost guilty. 

“I will not be back in the office tonight,” Gabriel informed her. 

“He might not want to see you,” she replied. 

That was too far. “Arquette.” He said her name with a sharp snap. 

“Forgive me, Mr. Hart. Enjoy your evening.” She hung up on him. His jaw clenched tight. Arquette had been with him for years, and he treasured her skill and unshakable attitude, but in the last few months, she had grown attached to Sabe, treating him like one of her grandchildren. That protective, maternal instinct was overriding her caution and professionalism around the office, especially when speaking to Gabriel about matters that involved the young caenid. 

Gabriel hated to think it, but it might be time for her to retire.

As he walked toward the lift access, Gabriel called the phone he had given Sabe. It didn’t ring, but went straight to voice mail, like it was turned off. He hung up and tried again. It did the same thing. 

Strange. Sabe never turned off the phone, and he never avoided Gabriel’s calls. The silver-haired man walked by the room where a few of the scientists were still working. He waved goodnight to James through the window as she glanced up from the computer. She returned the gesture, and resumed typing.

He called Sabe six more times before he reached the transport tunnel. He tapped buttons on the access panel, summoning his private lift. 

“Leave a message after the beep,” said the recording. It beeped.

“Sabeth. Answer me. I understand you are upset, but you cannot cut me off like this. Call me back immediately.” He cut off the line, waiting by the door for his private car to arrived. 

He wasn’t worried. No. It was probably fine. Maybe Sabe had forgotten to charge the device last night. Though it was late… Shouldn’t he be in bed with it plugged in again? Certainly Sabe would have noticed it was turned off. The caenid often called Gabriel before he fell asleep, especially on nights Gabriel worked late. 

The lift arrived, and Gabriel stepped in. He placed the call again, but it still went straight to voice mail. A thought itched at the back of his head.

_What if someone kidnapped him again?_

Gabriel’s chest ached at the thought. He hit the button on his private lift that closed the door, then input his destination. Instead of dropping down, the lift shot up, headed straight to the top of the monolith. 

Roof access was nearly impossible for anyone besides highly monitored maintenance crews. The lift stopped and binged open, revealing the hot summer air and the dull stars above. He hit the button on the transport that would return it to the docking bay in Corvus Prime, then Gabriel walked toward the edge of the building. 

Wind whipped the air in great gusts, channeled through the gaps between the buildings. It tugged at his loose hair, twisting it up around him. He jumped up onto the ledge and looked down. There were no lights on the top floors except the soft glow of purple grow bulbs in the vacant orchards. He was alone at the top of the world. 

Gabriel dropped the glamor around his wings. With a crackle of sparks, they burst into view, and he felt their heavy weight against his back. After a couple quick beats of his wings, ensuring he had full feeling back in them, Gabriel sprang into the night sky. He twisted the light around him, cloaking himself in starlight.

With the cool breeze supporting him, Gabriel shot off over Nukan City, heading directly toward the one place he hoped he would find Sabe.


	8. Alex: 2nd Degree of Tides, 1676 NE

Leaning on the kitchen counter, Alex pushed his hands through his black hair, feeling drained. As much as he enjoyed having Sabe around, he just was not cut out to provide the amount of emotional support the young caenid required. That was Gabriel’s job, and today, he had screwed it up.

Getting Sabe drunk had been a good idea, but getting Sabe home after had been difficult. The intoxicated caenid was clingy and affectionate, invading Alex’s personal space far more than he was comfortable with. On the lift down, Sabe had stood before Alex with his arms wrapped around his waist, head resting on his chest, murmuring happily. It had taken every ounce of Alex’s control not to knock him back. 

Thankfully, they were home now. Sabe was in bed, passed out, and Alex could finally unwind.

Sighing heavily, Alex began making a cup of coffee. Tucked away in his pocket was the small plastic pouch of white powder, but he didn’t pull it out to add it to the hot drink. He considered it, but he had used a pinch this morning. Lately, he hadn’t needed more than a dose every other day. He could probably go longer, but then it got harder to control some of his darker impulses. 

The powder had been designed to calm and subdue his emotionally charged energy. He knew it wasn’t healthy to repress his energy that way, but he couldn’t go around flashing it about all the time like Gabriel did. Alex’s magic was distinctive. It left a residue which certain creatures had been trained to sense, able to track it anywhere. Every time he worked a spell, he risked leaving a trail for them to follow back to him. He didn’t need demons showing up, not now.

A high pitched howl only Alex could hear cut through the silence around the apartment. He looked up. “I swear, if this is another airplane, I’m going to dispel you,” he griped, sitting the coffee on the counter and walking toward the roof hatch. 

Alex had altered the construct beasts on the roof, adding a new little ball of black fluff whose only purpose was to alert him to incoming aerial presences. It was set at a wider scan range than his others in the hope that it would have more time sense incoming danger and alert him. So far, it had successfully gone off with four airplanes, a flock of geese, one lost seagull, and a falling chunk of satellite debris. 

Jumping, Alex pushed through the hatch and landed on the room with ease. He kicked the hatch shut and fused it with a tendril of power, just as a precaution.

The largest shadow beast approached him, her head filled with gleaming black teeth. The howling black puffball of spiked energy darted between her feet, bouncing around on stubby little legs. 

“I’m here, you can stop,” he told it, waving his hand in the air to disrupt its energy. The larger beast sat beside Alex, her haunches falling heavily on the little construct. It barely noticed, popping through her side with a puff of black smoke. 

The larger construct raised her head to the northeast and whined. Alex looked up, scanning the sky, searching for whatever danger had alerted her. The stars shifted, and he saw a glint of silver in the moonlight.

Crestfallen, Alex realized what was coming. He waved the constructs away, letting the shadow beasts dissipate back into the perimeter wards and fall silent. Danger approached, all right, but it wasn’t one he could avoid or defend against. Alex crossed his arms and waited.

Within a minute, Gabriel landed before him on the roof, his weak disguise falling from him like a veil. His white wings spread wide behind him, quivering with the thrill of flight. His silver hair lay perfectly straight, not tangled at all by the strong upper atmosphere winds. Between his wings and silver hair, Gabriel nearly glowed in the darkness. It was fortunate there was no one around in Poriah to see him. 

“Where is Sabe?” demanded Gabriel as soon as he landed. He stalked toward Alex, and Alex leaned back, turning his face away so he wasn’t looking directly into Gabriel’s intense blue eyes.

“Sleeping,” Alex replied, sounding bored.

“Sleeping,” Gabriel repeated slowly, like he had forgotten that was something Sabe needed to do on a regular basis. “Why didn’t he answer my calls?”

_Oops_. That. No wonder Gabriel looked so violent in the moonlight. He was worried.

Cringing, Alex pulled Sabe’s powered down phone from his back pocket. “I guess I forgot to give it back to him.” He handed the black rectangle apologetically over to his brother. Gabriel snatched it from his hand and immediately turned it back on.

“Why did you take it from him?”

Alex stepped back from Gabriel, acting nonchalant, as if he just wanted to see over the edge of the building. Gabriel stared at the screen as it began the power up sequence, the white light illuminating his face with a bright glow.

“Well, after he talked to you this morning, I didn’t think he was really up for talking to you again today.” He looked away as Gabriel glared at him. Alex tried to find something interesting down on the street level. There was one lamp post that still glowed with a working solar bulb. That was interesting.

“You have no right to prevent him from contacting me, Black Ander,” growled Gabriel.

“The only thing I prevented him from doing was crying all day. If he had asked for the phone back, I would have given it to him.” He glanced back, but Gabriel was still glaring at him. He turned back toward the street, trying to control his breathing. 

“He was crying?” Gabriel murmured to himself as the phone came on. He tapped the screen several times, listening to a voice message before deleting it. It had been his voice. He had sounded distressed. He poked around on the screen while he started to pace. 

“Yes, he was crying. I took care of him.”

Gabriel’s pacing brought him closer than Alex preferred, but the silver-haired Ahnnak seemed more interested in the phone than him at the moment. The soft vibration of haptic feedback filled the air as Gabriel explored the contents of Sabe’s device. 

“He should have been celebrating today,” said Gabriel, almost in a normal, conversational manner. It was weird, like he was half distracted by the details on the phone, and had forgotten to be irritated.

“We celebrated,” said Alex, his voice revealing a bit of his annoyance with his brother. “Don’t worry about it. If you had wanted to be there, I’m sure you could have found a way. Or is it only under the cover of darkness that you’re allowed to see him now?” 

Well, it had almost been a normal conversation. Gabriel’s hand hit Alex’s back, right between his shoulder blades, and shoved him off the roof. Without his wings quickly available, Alex dropped, hitting the sidewalk before the building like a stone. He barely twisted in the air in time to avoid landing on his face. The impact was jarring, but he didn’t sustain more than a hairline fracture in his hip and couple bruises on his arms. 

Sprawled on his back, Alex glared up at the moonlit silver hair of his brother. Gabriel leaned over the edge of six story building and called out, “Remove the lock and let me in, Black Ander, or I’ll come down there and drag you back up in pieces.” 

“You can try,” Alex grumbled under his breath, carefully not saying the words loud enough for his brother to hear. He waved his hand in the air and dispersed the seal around the hatch. Gabriel disappeared from the edge of the roof, and the hatch clanged open.

For quite a while, Alex lay on the cool sidewalk, his hand held out, reaching for the cord of power that would implode the whole building. It curled about his fingertips. Just one twitch of a finger, and he could trigger it. Just one, and he could collapse the whole block and bury his brother in a pile of brick and steel. 

Sighing, Alex lowered his hand. It wasn’t worth it. Gabriel was a resilient bastard. A small building wouldn’t kill him, but it would piss him off. 

Slowly, Alex got to his feet and entered the front door to his building. He climbed the stairs with a reluctant trudge, not looking forward to what waited him at the top.

***

By the time Alex convinced himself to go inside his own apartment, Gabriel had already been in to check on Sabe and come back out. He sat on the couch, wings spread wide against the cushioned back, one ankle crossed over his knee. He held the mug of coffee Alex had made for himself before the unwelcome intrusion.

“You break anything?” Gabriel asked, as if he actually cared. 

“I was just pushed off a building. What do you think?” Alex shut the heavy front door.

Ice-blue eyes tracked him as he walked into the kitchen. “Your hip or your leg?”

“Gabriel, you don’t get to shove me off a building and then pretend to care,” said Alex, standing at the sink and running cold water over his shaking hands. He kept his back to his brother. 

“Sabe looks well,” came Gabriel’s soft reply. “You did good taking care of him today. I am sorry I wasn’t there, and… I am sorry I pushed you. I lost my temper.”

Snorting, Alex flipped the water faucet off. “You’re apologizing for hurting me. That’s new.”

“I am not apologizing for hurting you. I am apologizing because you were right, and I should not have lashed out.” He took a drink from the mug. “This coffee is better.”

Alex grabbed a white towel from the cupboard and dried his hands. “Yeah, well, they were out of my usual brand.”

Gabriel stood and approached. Alex tensed, ready to run at the first sign of aggression from the silver-haired man, but Gabriel’s demeanor remained placid and non-threatening. 

Calmly, Gabriel sat the mug on the counter. “Let me see,” he said, motioning toward Alex’s hip.

“No, I’d rather you didn’t,” he replied warily. “It’s just a small fracture.”

“Sabe doesn’t like it when I hurt you. I would rather he not find out about this.”

“I won’t tell him,” he promised.

“Alex.”

“No. You’re not a healer, Gabriel.”

“I can fix a broken bone, Black Ander. It’s not hard.” He stepped closer. “Do not make this more difficult that it has to be. Lift up your shirt.”

Reluctantly, Alex bunched the layered shirts in his fist and lifted the fabric, exposing his side. Because he knew Gabriel would do it if he didn’t, he hooked his thumb under the waist of his pants and lowered it enough to expose the bruising across his hip. 

Tilting his head back, Alex stared up at the beige ceiling, trying to control the panicked beating of his heart. He couldn’t bring himself to watch. 

When fingers touched Alex’s side, he flinched, but not from pain. Gabriel slid his fingers around Alex’s hip, pressing his palm firmly over the bruise and the spiderweb of fractures that laced Alex’s bone. The injury was not terrible, but it did hurt. 

When a weak pulse of warm healing energy spread through Alex’s hip, it was almost a relief. At least, it would have been, had it not been so unnerving to remain that close to Gabriel.

“I wasn’t aware you could use healing magic,” said Alex, his voice strained.

“Not magic, just science. Anyone could learn how to do it,” his brother mumbled, eyes closed while he focused on controlling the diluted energy being channeled into Alex. The power wasn’t very strong, not compared to that of a natural healer, but the bone was mending. “You were not aware I could do this because no one is. This is the first time I have used it on anyone other than myself or Sabe, though I expect you will keep my secret.”

Alex opened his black eyes and looked down at Gabriel. He licked his dry lips and said, “I always keep your secrets, brother.” 

_Even if it destroys me._

Cold blue eyes raised to scrutinize him, a question on Gabriel’s lips. The moment he took his full attention from Alex’s injury, though, the healing energy slipped from his control. 

Like feedback on a faulty sound system, the healing power pulled pain from Alex, echoed it into Gabriel, then forced it back into Alex. It looped through them in an escalating cyclone of agony. 

With a flash of forced heat, Gabriel jerked away, swearing in… ancient French? It had been a long time since Alex heard that dialect. The silver-haired man glared down at his hand, shaking it out like it still pained him. His wings were tense and spread open behind him.

Alex stumbled back a couple steps then examined his hip. His brother’s hand print remained, seared into his skin like a dark scar. 

“What the fuck,” declared Alex, not needing to slip into a dead language to get his displeasure across. 

“It slipped out of control. I’m still practicing.” He looked at Alex’s marred skin. “Well, guess everyone will know who you belong to now.”

“Not funny, Gabriel,” Alex said, jerking down his shirts to cover the mark. “It better heal fast.”

“I could try again.”

“Like hell I’m letting you touch me again. You have absolutely no clue what you’re doing. You used that on _Sabe_?” 

“I was not about to leave him suffering after what those humans did to him,” he said, trying to defend himself. “Sabe didn’t even notice. I was careful.”

“Healers are born with the talent for a reason, Gabriel.” 

“It’s merely science. It’s not that big of a deal, Black Ander,” said Gabriel, sounding like his usual foul-tempered self. He turned back to the coffee he had claimed as his own, heating it with a wave of his hand. He sipped it as he walked back toward the couch.

As far as Alex knew, no one born without the aptitude for healing had ever learned it. The fact that Gabriel had picked up the skill sometime over the past dozen centuries, and was disregarding it as common science, made Alex wonder what other new tricks his brother might be hiding. Probably nothing good.

When Gabriel sat back on the couch, wings spread behind him, Alex asked, “Why aren’t you going home?”

“You got Sabe drunk.” It was difficult to tell if Gabriel was angry about that or not by the tone of his voice. 

Cautiously, Alex responded, “So?” 

“He’s only twenty.” 

“It was the only way I could get him to stop talking about you.”

“About me?” Gabriel crossed his leg over his knee, looking completely comfortable on the old couch that Sabe was slowly destroying. The young caenid had already torn apart every loose pillow, and had moved on to popping the buttons off the cushions. Alex suspected that couch wouldn’t survive to the end of the year.

“He thinks you’re avoiding him.”

“I already told him I’m not.”

“But you haven’t told him what you’re really doing, have you? You’re lying to him again.”

“It is safer for him if he doesn’t know,” Gabriel insisted. “I explained I was working on a project. I may have lied about the details, but I have spent the past few weeks working to remove every trace of both him and you from the lab data.” His eyes narrowed and his voice hardened. “If you had helped me to begin with, none of this would be necessary.”

Alex pulled another mug from the cupboard to make coffee. He busied himself with that rather than looking at Gabriel. “There’s nothing I can do to help.” 

“Now who’s lying?” Gabriel growled.

The Blue Dust was doing exactly what it was supposed to do. Alex had no regrets about that. The planet was infested with humans, but it wasn’t like he was killing them, not with the Blue Dust at least. He was just hindering their ability to spawn as quickly. It was all very humane. It wouldn’t even effect more than a few million of them, since he wasn’t producing the drug anymore. 

Even if he had wanted to stop the spread, he couldn’t. There wasn’t a cure or antidote. That wasn’t how his power worked. Alex may not have been a healer either, but he understood biology just as well as the best of them. His skills just aligned more toward the destructive side of medicine.

“I’m not lying, Gabriel. There’s nothing you can do to reverse it. No matter who you brought in to help, they’re going to fail. You’re wasting your time even trying.”

Gabriel glared at him as he finished making the coffee. “It is not a waste.”

Alex carried his mug over and sat in his chair beside the couch. He tucked one leg beneath him. “It is. You should be spending time with Sabe before it’s too late.”

“I will make it up to him,” said Gabriel, looking down into his mug.

“He thinks you’re bored with him.”

“Bored?” Silver eyebrows raised in surprise.

Alex sipped his coffee, then said, “He thinks he’s not good enough for you, and that’s why you don’t-” He paused, trying to think of a way to say it that didn’t sound obscene. There really wasn’t a way.

“Why I don’t what, Black Ander?” demanded Gabriel.

As tactful as he could, Alex explained, “Why you don’t… um, enjoy yourself with him as often as he does with you.”

Cold blue eyes stared at him for a moment, as if Gabriel hadn’t understood the words, then he exclaimed, “He talked to you about _that_?!”

“Your boy has no filter. He talked about it with six different dessert shops, Gabriel. There wasn’t any stopping him.”

Gabriel shook his head, aggravated. “And you thought alcohol would help?”

“It did. People bought him drinks. He danced. He celebrated like he should have, and he forgot about you.” 

Jealous rage radiated from Gabriel. The silver-haired man clenched his jaw, eyes fierce.

Alex had no sympathy for him. “I was watching him. Nothing happened. But I will tell you, that boy needs a lot more attention than you’re giving him.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” snarled Gabriel.

“You know exactly what it means. Why are holding yourself back? It’s not like you.”

“He’s not ready.”

“That never stopped you before.”

Gabriel glared at him, but he really didn’t have any room to argue, and he knew it. Still, Alex chose not challenge him by holding his gaze. His brother was temperamental, and did not need to be right to be violent. 

After a moment, Gabriel released a long sigh, hissing through his clenched teeth. “I am trying not to imprint on him,” he confessed dolefully. 

Alex had to look to see if his brother was serious. Shockingly, he was. “ _Why_?”

Gabriel rubbed his temple, his brow furrowed. “I do not have to explain myself to you, Black Ander.”

“He is yours. Why would you avoid claiming him? Sabe is already infatuated with you.” 

Exasperated, Gabriel said, “Because I do not want him to smell of me.”

“Why?” asked Alex again, baffled. “I can disguise it on him. I’ve _been_ disguising it.”

“ _But I can’t_ ,” said Gabriel, his voice filled with frustration and sorrow. “I tried. After he was taken, after you disappeared, I tried. It is beyond me to sustain his wards the way you do, and-” He looked pained as he said, “If something ever happens to you, I won’t be able to hide him anymore.” 

The sentiment was almost touching, had Alex not known Gabriel’s concern for his well being was in direct correlation to his usefulness in keeping Sabe safe. Scornfully, he said, “The worst thing that will happen to me is you. Don’t neglect the boy on my account.”

“I am not neglecting him,” insisted Gabriel.

Alex shrugged and drank his cooling coffee. “If you’re not going to leave, you should stay with Sabe in his room.” He stood, returning to the kitchen to dump the rest of the coffee in the sink. 

“I find the rifts as pleasant as being left bound to a hill of fire ants. I don’t know what you’ve got hiding in there, but when those links fail-”

“They won’t fail,” interrupted Alex, offended by the suggestion.

_“When those links fail_ , I do not want to be stuck on the wrong side of the void. I will wait out here for Sabe to wake.” Gabriel took a drink of his coffee. It was still steaming hot, as he kept adding more heat to keep it at a constant temperature. 

“Fine. Do what you want. I’m going to bed.” Alex knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, not with Gabriel in his apartment, but he didn’t want to stay out there and entertain his brother all night either. “The terminal works. There’s food. Leave after Sabe wakes. I don’t want you here.”

“Go to bed, Black Ander. I can care for myself,” he said dismissively, watching Alex with ice-blue eyes.

Even though it had been his idea, Alex suddenly felt like a child being sent to his room as punishment. He scowled at Gabriel and snapped, “You better be out of my building by morning.” He spun and stomped off, feeling very immature and frustrated, but unable to stop himself. 

“Good night, Alex,” Gabriel called after him, his deep chuckle following him down the hall. Alex slammed the door shut, wishing he had collapsed the building on Gabriel when he got the chance.


End file.
